Indore’s 100-bed civil hospital functioned 6 yrs but not a brick laid

Indore: As far as phantom stories go, this one from Indore has no equal. Over the last six years, a 100-bed civil hospital in Indore’s Khajrana has existed as a fully-functional healthcare facility ‘on paper’.

On the ground, however, neither has a plot been identified nor a brick laid. The revelation has brought to the fore a shocking lack of oversight in Madhya Pradesh’s public health administration, leaving officials in the local health department scratching their heads for answers.Six years ago, the state government formally announced the setting up of a civil hospital in Khajrana, equipped with modern-day healthcare equipment and infrastructure.While the search for an appropriate site for the proposed hospital dragged on, the bureaucratic wheels kept churning as the health department sanctioned 87 posts for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff for a facility that did not exist on the ground.In the subsequent years since the hospital was announced, routine transfers and postings were carried out to fill these roles.As it turns out, about 80 of these assigned employees are currently posted at alternative locations, including PC Sethi Hospital, Hukumchand Hospital and various local Sanjivani Clinics across the city.

Shedding some light into the mystery around the phantom hospital,Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla told TOI, “Initially, an urban PHC (primary health centre) operated here (Kjahrana), which was upgraded to a 50-bed civil hospital and later planned as a 100-bed facility. However, construction couldn’t begin due to the unavailability of suitable govt land. Until the proposed upgraded hospital is constructed, the sanctioned staff have been deployed to other govt medical institutions, while the search for land continues.

”However, the clarification did not cut much ice with the Opposition, as it accused the govt of gross negligence.Congress leader and former state minister, Sajjan Singh Verma, questioned how appointments and transfers could go on for years for a hospital that does not exist. “We will raise this issue prominently in the upcoming assembly session and demand answers,” Verma stated, calling for a high-level investigation.Pointing to logistical bottlenecks, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Hasani said, “Finding a large piece of govt land within the city limits is not easy. The search for a suitable site delayed construction. We attached the nursing and paramedical staff to Sanjivani clinics and other hospitals so that their skills are put to use.”