Hospital construction in local levels slow-paced

BY TILACHAN PANDEY,Tamghas, June 26: The condition of the 15-bed hospital, whose foundation stone was laid hastily on November 30, 2020, in Gulmi district is pitiable. The foundation stone was laid according to the decision of the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led government to break the ground for hospitals in 396 local levels across the country on the same day.

The federal and provincial ministers were seen excited to lay the stone at two to three places on a single day. Though almost three years have passed since the foundation, the construction work of many local level hospitals has not been accelerated. 

The construction work at some places has been halted because the hospital building did not meet building standards. Similarly, some of the places were hit by natural calamities, some faced difficulties in the construction of DPR and at some places the construction work was taking place at the speed of a snail.

Basanta Bhushal, head of health department of Malika Rural Municipality, informed that since the land on which the foundation was laid did not meet the standards, the construction work has been paused. He said that they had managed alternative land nearby and were in the process of tender. 

Meanwhile, the construction work could not be advanced in Dhurkot Rural Municipality since a landslide had occurred where the base of the hospital was being constructed, said chairman Bhupal Pokhrel.

In two and half years, only the basement has been constructed of the hospital in Ishma Rural Municipality-4. The work slowed after the problem was seen in DPR and other areas. Similarly, in Rurukshetra Rural Municipality, so far they have only levelled up the ground. Technician of the rural municipality Romkanta Pandey said that only 10 per cent of the construction work had been completed. 

He said that they did not have enough space to pile up the mud extracted while digging for the construction of the building. 

The construction work has reached 30 per cent in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-3. Khimti-Shrestha-Anjana JV was awarded the project at a cost of Rs. 120 million. Engineer Satya Narayan Rai said that they were constructing third floor at present. 

Likewise, the construction work of the hospital has reached second floor in Satyawati Rural Municipality-15. Engineer Ramesh Shahi said that the construction of the hospital was currently progressing at a rapid pace and so far about 45 per cent of the physical progress had been made.

Sub-engineer Tirtha Raj Panthi informed that 50 per cent of the construction work of the hospital in Madane Rural Municipality-6 had been completed. They had reached the third floor of the building and were also constructing other structures of the hospital, he said. On the other hand, the construction work had progressed only in three local levels of the district. They include, Gulmi Durbar Rural Municipality, Chandrakot Rural Municipality and Musikot Rural Municipality. 

The construction work of hospital in Gumli Durbar had reached 95 per cent. Similarly, the construction work had progressed 70 per cent in Chandrakot and 75 per cent in Musikot.