KAKINADA: The prestigious Government General Hospital (GGH) in the city, which has a bed-strength of 1,400, has turned into a monument of neglect with its dilapidated buildings ready to collapse anytime.
The patients as well as the staff shudder to enter the hospital premises especially in the rainy season as the walls of most of its buildings have weakened. The authorities, instead of taking the issue seriously, are just carrying out repairs and patch works when required.
The buildings of the TB, ID and Orthopaedics wards, which were constructed in 1963, are in dangerous condition and are irreparable.
The Andhra Pradesh Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMIDC) has certified that many buildings are dilapidated, putting the lives of patients and on-duty staff in jeopardy.
The GGH Development Committee meeting held on December 28, 2010 and June 28, 2012, unanimously resolved to dismantle the buildings and construct new blocks with eight floors to accommodate TB and ID wards apart from super specialty departments as per the norms of the Medical Council of India (MCI). The estimates were prepared at a cost of Rs 40 crore.
Speaking to TNIE, GGH superintendent Dr Venkata Buddha has said that a detailed report has been submitted to the government as well as local MLA Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao during his recent visit to the hospital.
“It is inevitable to construct new buildings as the many existing ones are in a pretty bad shape,” he averred.
WHAT AILS GGH
Buildings of TB, ID, Orthopaedics Wards too weak
No action despite APMIDC certifying the hospital buildings as dilapidated
GGH Development Committee’s recommendation for dismantling of existing hospital buildings gathering dust