Ameerpet’s Community Health-cum-Maternity Centre lying in shambles for over three years
HYDERABAD: Ameerpet has a Community Health-cum-Maternity Centre building to call its own. But to what avail? The incomplete 50-bedded building lies in shambles, leaving the poor and weaker sections staying in the area with no access to proper medical care. The patients are forced to approach private medical centres for treatment, which most of them cannot afford. With no funds being released by the State government, the still under-construction building has been gathering dust for the last three years.
The government, however, seems least bothered. Underprivileged citizens staying in nearby localities including Ameerpet, Sanathnagar, Punjagutta, Sanjeevareddy Nagar, Vengal Rao Nagar, Fatehnagar and Balkampet are eagerly waiting to see that the hospital is completed at the earliest, so that they can avail better medical treatment.
Speaking to Express, Ameerpet division corporator Seshu Kumari said, “The State government had allocated Rs 4 crore as funds for the construction of the Community Health Centre (CHC) in the Ameerpet division. Earlier, the proposal was for 30 beds. But it was later converted to 50 beds.” She alleged that though a total of 30 doctors were recruited, the delay in construction had led to the doctors taking up work at other centres.
“We don’t know why the construction of the building is being delayed. We have taken the issue to the Hyderabad District Collector and asked him to release the funds,” she said. According to TSMIC Deputy Engineer K Giridhar, the main reason for the delay in construction are the contractors. “Due to that, we have changed the contractor and started the construction work once again,” he said. Repeated calls to the Hyderabad District Medical Health Officer (DMHO), however, went unanswered.