BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to execute projects like the construction of hospital buildings and the addition of health infrastructure in existing hospitals through the Rural Development (RD) department instead of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water (PR&DW) department. The decision was taken following a delay in the execution of several projects taken up for the transformation of hospitals in all 30 districts.
The Panchayati Raj department, which was entrusted with the job, is yet to start many projects, which were supposed to be completed in the current fiscal. While select district headquarters hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals and CHCs have been taken up for upgradation at a cost of `750 crore under the transformation initiative - Ama Hospital, several health infrastructure projects of around `4,466 crore are underway in different parts of the state.
The target to complete those projects under the Ama Hospital initiative is the end of October and the other projects by the end of March next year. It is apprehended many projects may not be completed on time due to staff crunch leading to delays in tendering and supervising.
The pending projects to be shifted from Panchayatiraj department to RD department are funded by the 15th Finance Commission and through the National Health Mission (NHM), the state budget, Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC).
Health Secretary Shalini Pandit has urged the Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water department to issue necessary instructions for the transfer of funds to zilla swasthya samitis (ZSS) for the execution of non-started projects, including sub-centres, PHCs and block public health units (BPHUs) through RD department.
“Approval has been accorded by PR&DW department for the transfer of funds under the 15th Finance Commission to ZSS by the chief district medical and public health officers for the execution of projects through the RD department. Since similar projects are being funded through NHM, state budget, PM-ABHIM and OMBADC, funds may be transferred to ZSS for the execution of projects,” she wrote to the PR&DW department. As per the plan, CDMOs will coordinate at the level of ZSS for the identification of projects with the approval of respective collectors.