Ready and staff in place, yet Nagpur district hospital awaits inauguration
Nagpur: The much-anticipated inauguration of the 100-bed district general hospital at Mankapur remains delayed, despite the facility being fully equipped and staffed. Originally slated for opening in June beginning, the hospital, which took 13 years to complete, missed multiple deadlines.
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The final push for completion came after interventions by the high court and elected representatives.
On Thursday, a visit by TOI revealed a fully functional administrative setup, with clinical staff present in their departments. Civil surgeon Dr ND Rathod confirmed that the hospital administration is operational, and outpatient and inpatient services are expected to commence soon. "We received the occupancy certificate recently and have informed higher authorities.
The inauguration date is now their call," Dr Rathod said.
The hospital includes a 40-bed eye hospital block, ready to operate alongside the main facility. Initially, limited services will be offered, including surgery, orthopaedics, medicine, ENT, psychiatry, paediatrics, and gynaecology on an OPD basis. Advanced diagnostic equipment, including CT and MRI machines, has been allocated, with a 4,000 sq ft space under construction to house them.
Notably, the CT machine, originally sanctioned for Chimur hospital, and the MRI machine, meant for Gadchiroli, have been redirected to Nagpur due to space constraints at their intended locations.
Out of the 108 sanctioned staff positions, most, including medical officers, specialists, and staff nurses, have already joined. Dr Rathod added that the hospital will provide comprehensive blood investigations and radiological services.
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A physiotherapy unit, funded through CSR initiatives, is also in the pipeline.
The delay in the hospital's formal launch has raised concerns among residents, who have long awaited improved healthcare access in the region. With infrastructure, equipment, and staff in place, the state authorities should finalise the inauguration date and make this long-overdue project fully operational for the public, said residents.
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