Hospital building constructed at cost of Rs 117 cr not being used as patients struggle for essential facilities

ALAPPUZHA: With the construction of waste treatment plant dragging on, the completed seven-storey building of the general hospital is not being used. The building was built at a cost of 117 crores from KIIFB. The patients are also in distress as due to the lack of facilities to accommodate the patients and to perform surgeries.

When the Alappuzha Medical College shifted to Vandanam, the old medical college building was given over to the general hospital. Former Public Works Minister G Sudhakaran and former Finance Minister Dr Thomas Isaac, who realized the inadequacies of the medical college buildings built years ago, came up with the plan for a seven-storey building. As a part of this, the building, which started construction in February 2020, is still unable to operate even after three years.

The announcement was that the construction of the water treatment plant, which will purify the waste water discharged from the hospital, will be completed on November 2022 and the hospital will be opened in January. But the construction of the waste treatment plant started last month. The plant will be completed in two more weeks. Only after the plant is completed, the building, complete with plumbing and other works including electrification, can be opened to the public.

Due to space constraints and difficulties in the general hospital, the residents of the city are forced to depend on the Vandanam Medical College for their needs, including surgery, as patients cannot be admitted to the general hospital.