Shillong, March 27: A 200-bed annexe — a part of the Shillong Civil Hospital — was inaugurated today by chief minister D.D. Lapang, ending a four-year wait for a much-needed facility.
The delay in the inauguration of the annexe, the construction of which was completed nearly four years ago, had caused considerable inconvenience to patients, with the latter having to even use the corridors of the government-run hospital.
The Meghalaya government had approved the construction of the annexe on March 2001. The building, with water supply facilities, was completed at a cost of Rs 3.60 crore in August 2006.
Later, the directorate of health services (DHS) had also bought equipment, including beds and other accessories worth Rs 59.26 lakh, for the 200-bed hospital.
The delay in appointment of staff pushed back the hospital’s inauguration even further.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had said in its report that the hospital had been admitting at least 20 to 25 patients per day in excess of its capacity of 400 beds. Patients were apparently being accommodated “in the corridor, despite having a complete hospital building of 200-bed capacity”.
The CAG, in its report, also said that the extended hospital facility remained unutilised because of the delay in taking a final decision on the actual requirement of posts for the hospital and their sanction.
Inaugurating the new building, Lapang today said the growth in terms of population and urbanisation had put pressure on the government to upgrade health facilities in the urban centres.
He urged the health department to ensure adequate supply of medicines and modern equipment for an efficient health delivery system.
The chief minister also presented citations to two employees of the civil hospital, sweeper Lata Massie and ward girl Margrita Kharthangmaw. Deputy chief minister (incharge of health) Mukul Sangma said all efforts had been made to improve the health delivery mechanism by providing adequate facilities to the hospitals.
The delay in the inauguration of the annexe, the construction of which was completed nearly four years ago, had caused considerable inconvenience to patients, with the latter having to even use the corridors of the government-run hospital.
The Meghalaya government had approved the construction of the annexe on March 2001. The building, with water supply facilities, was completed at a cost of Rs 3.60 crore in August 2006.
Later, the directorate of health services (DHS) had also bought equipment, including beds and other accessories worth Rs 59.26 lakh, for the 200-bed hospital.
The delay in appointment of staff pushed back the hospital’s inauguration even further.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had said in its report that the hospital had been admitting at least 20 to 25 patients per day in excess of its capacity of 400 beds. Patients were apparently being accommodated “in the corridor, despite having a complete hospital building of 200-bed capacity”.
The CAG, in its report, also said that the extended hospital facility remained unutilised because of the delay in taking a final decision on the actual requirement of posts for the hospital and their sanction.
Inaugurating the new building, Lapang today said the growth in terms of population and urbanisation had put pressure on the government to upgrade health facilities in the urban centres.
He urged the health department to ensure adequate supply of medicines and modern equipment for an efficient health delivery system.
The chief minister also presented citations to two employees of the civil hospital, sweeper Lata Massie and ward girl Margrita Kharthangmaw. Deputy chief minister (incharge of health) Mukul Sangma said all efforts had been made to improve the health delivery mechanism by providing adequate facilities to the hospitals.
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