Live
- Facial Recognition Attendance Mandatory for Secretariat Employees from Tomorrow
- Upendra’s ‘UI: The Movie’ clears censor; Set for Dec 20 release
- Official: Balakrishna’s ‘Akhanda 2’ locks release date
- Indian Researchers Uncover Key Insights into the Sun's Corona with Aditya-L1
- Brunei sultan urges united efforts from energy companies to face future challenges
- Student Ends Life After Being Scolded by Parents
- Telecom operators geared up to block spammy telemarketer messages from Wednesday
- Mohan Babu should immediately issue a public apology: Press Club President Balavardhan
- Strict Protocols Set for Group 2 Exams in Wanaparthy District
- Delhi Police busts gang involved in cable theft on Delhi Metro Blue Line
Still suffering from labour pains
The construction of Rajiv Intensive Care Unit (RICU) block, supposed to be the largest maternity hospital in the country, at Niloufer Hospital, never seems to end. The project, which started in 2009, was supposed to be completed in 2011 but the deadline has been extended ever since.
RICU block at Niloufer moves at snail’s pace
The construction of Rajiv Intensive Care Unit (RICU) block, supposed to be the largest maternity hospital in the country, at Niloufer Hospital, never seems to end. The project, which started in 2009, was supposed to be completed in 2011 but the deadline has been extended ever since.
A GO was issued in 2009 for constructing 450 beds at RICU in an area of 13,825.5sq ft at Niloufer. Tenders were floated and agreement process was completed. A GO was later issued increasing the budget to Rs 27.60 crore as the building space increased to 21693.20sq ft.
.jpg)
In a surprise move, another GO in October 2013 increased the budget by Rs 48 crore and the equipment budget by Rs 15 crore. This is because the National Building Code of India (NBC) modified the structure of the building to check seismic load. In 2005, the NBC had examined the site and had given a green signal but modifications were made in 2013.
“There must be hidden intentions which led to an increase in budget of Rs20 crore. How did the government start construction without approval of structural drawings?,” pointed an official. “A Central team which visited the RICU advised that it should be converted into a Centre of Excellence. To this end, the Centre has sanctioned an additional amount of Rs 6 crore.
The building will be completed in three months,” said C Lakshman Reddy, chief engineer, Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation under whose supervision the construction is being carried out.According to a pediatrician, the new intensive care unit will have 450 beds in addition to the existing 500-bed capacity at Niloufer Hospital.
When contacted over the delay in construction of the centre, superintendent of Niloufer Hospital Dr K Devaraj said, “The construction is being delayed due to World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Toolkit-Labour and Delivery design. Also works on oxygen and AC supply, demolition and re-modification works are pending.”
A senior official of the hospital said that close to 3,500 deaths were reported between 2011 and 2014. If the construction would have been completed many lives could have been saved. The death rate of children per annum at Niloufer ranges between 12 and 15 per cent of total admissions due to lack of infrastructure and nursing staff. To minimise the deaths, the State Government decided to set up RICU utilising funds from National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at a cost of Rs 20.60 crore.
By:V Naveen Kumar
