Srinagar, Sep 25 (NVI): Nearly 75 per cent physical progress has been achieved on the construction of a 50-bed hospital block at Pahalgam in south Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakeena Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Replying to a question raised by Pahalgam MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani, Itoo said administrative approval for the project was accorded in March 2020 at a sanctioned cost of Rs 19.90 crore.
The project includes construction of the hospital building along with civil, electrical, mechanical and allied works, she said.
Against the sanctioned cost, Rs 16.75 crore has been released, of which Rs 10.53 crore was spent up to March 31 this year. An additional Rs 33.31 lakh has been spent during the current financial year, the minister said.
The project is progressing satisfactorily and has achieved around 75 per cent physical progress, she said.
The DG set has been commissioned and handed over, while the laundry system, Central Sterile Supply Department and Sterile Tunnel Project have been supplied or installed and are at the commissioning stage.
Installation of the hospital lift is underway, while the remaining mechanical and electrical components are being pursued for completion, Itoo said.
Additional basement led to cost revision
Explaining the delay and revision in the project cost, the minister said an additional basement became necessary due to the site’s topography and level differences.
This increased the built-up area and necessitated additional structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical and allied works, she said.
The post-COVID escalation in equipment and installation costs also contributed to the increase in the project cost, Itoo said.
She said the project was being personally monitored and a review meeting had been held with all stakeholders to resolve issues affecting its completion.
The process for revised administrative approval has already been initiated and will be accorded after receipt and scrutiny of the revised Detailed Project Report from the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, she said.
No proposal to upgrade three PHCs to SDHs
Responding to a supplementary question on upgrading Primary Health Centres at Pahalgam, Sallar and Aishmuqam to Sub-District Hospitals, Itoo said there was currently no such proposal.
The department was focusing on consolidation and strengthening of existing healthcare facilities, she said.
Referring to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS)-2022 norms, the minister said districts with a population below five lakh and a functional District Hospital do not require a Sub-District Hospital.
Districts with a population between five and 10 lakh can have one SDH, while one additional SDH can be considered for every further 10 lakh population, she said.
Accordingly, a district with a population of up to 20 lakh can have one District Hospital and two SDHs, while Jammu and Kashmir already has more SDHs than the admissibility envisaged under IPHS-2022, Itoo said.—(NVI)
