Subarnapur: The much awaited new district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Subarnapur district will be a reality soon as the contractor firm has already started ground levelling and foundation laying work.
Residents are hopeful that once the construction work completes, they would get better healthcare facilities at their doorsteps. The new DHH is coming up near Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) building on the bank of the Mahanadi river at Jhupudipada in the town.
After getting approval, a detailed project report was prepared and the estimated cost of the project was Rs 87,85,30,000. Subsequently the works department floated a tender and a Gurgaon-based contractor firm M/S Som Project Private Limited was awarded the tender and it signed an MoU with the works department to construct the DHH at Rs 82,14,26,000.
The DHH will be a seven-storey building and it will have 300 beds with all the facilities.
At present, the DHH is functioning from the old building, which was constructed during the period when there was king’s rule. The people of Subarnapur district and half the population of Boudh district depend on the DHH.
The requirement of a new DHH was felt when the shortage of space at the old DHH building hampered delivery of quality treatment. Due to shortage of beds, treatment of mothers and newly-born babies are carried out on hospital verandah in an unhygienic surrounding.
In order to end the suffering of people, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the new DHH July 24, 2017. But the work did not take off immediately due to a land dispute and funds not being released. The work got delayed even after then Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy, 5-T Secretary V K Pandian and director, National Health Mission Shalini Pandit visited the district and took stock of the situation in 2019. Many review meetings were also convened.
PNN