Ailing Cantt Hospital to get healing touch

Secunderabad: The Telangana government has decided to seek funds under National Urban Health Mission scheme to upgrade the Cantonment General Hospital (CGH).

The 30-bedded hospital is functioning just as a dispensary. It was opened with much fanfare by the Defence Minister and authorities assured that it would run for 24 hours but due to lack of doctors and support staff, it runs for just a few hours.

Since the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) is unlikely to bear cost of medical staff, medicines and equipment in running the hospital, the State government for the past few months has been looking at ways to get funds.

The government scouted for various options to meet financial expenses and zeroed in on Urban Health Mission for which Cantonment Hospital would be regarded as an Urban Community Health Centre. Health Minister C Laxma Reddy gave his nod to the proposal, which would be sent to the Union Health Ministry in few days’ time.

If State administration’s proposal gets nod of the Centre, then a big burden will be off its shoulders. Centre will be contributing 75 percent of funds while the remaining 25 percent is to be taken care of by the State government.

The infrastructure and laboratory facilities and a few staff members will be provided by the Cantonment to the State government and it is the latter’s duty to extend medical facilities and treatment to patients.

It may be mentioned here that initially maternity services would be launched in this hospital and institutional deliveries would be encouraged with mothers being presented with KCR Kits.