Srinagar, Jul 3: Construction work on the under-construction District Hospital Budgam and the Centre-funded Critical Care Hospital at Rishipora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district has remained suspended since January this year, reportedly due to a shortage of funds, raising concerns over delays in strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the district.
Official sources said the superstructure of the new District Hospital has already been completed. However, the remaining civil, mechanical and electrical works are yet to be executed, preventing the hospital from being made operational.
According to officials, an additional Rs 30-40 crore is required to complete the project. A supplementary Detailed Project Report (DPR) has already been submitted to the government and is presently awaiting approval from the Finance Department.
The delay has prompted calls for early release of funds to ensure the timely completion of the much-awaited healthcare facility. An appeal has also been made to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the Finance portfolio, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo and Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary), Finance, Shailender Kumar, to expedite the approval process.
Separately, the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) has been urged to extend financial assistance of Rs 10-20 crore under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative for procurement of MRI and CT Scan machines for the hospital, similar to the support provided to health institutions in Kargil and Anantnag.
Meanwhile, health officials have welcomed the Union Government’s decision to provide advanced diagnostic equipment to Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Minister’s special package. The package includes 275 AI-enabled portable handheld X-ray machines, nine 1.5 Tesla MRI units and four digital mammography systems, which are expected to improve access to modern diagnostic services, strengthen breast cancer screening and support artificial intelligence-based tuberculosis screening across selected government health institutions in the Union Territory.
However, locals have stressed that the benefits of such initiatives would be fully realised only after the completion and operationalization of the District Hospital Budgam. [KNT]
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