KOLLAM: Pathanapuram residents can finally heave a sigh of relief as the standoff over the construction of a state-of-the-art facility taluk hospital that had been persisting for over five years has ended. The process, including registration of land, for the hospital in Pathanapuram has been completed.
It was alleged that the differences in opinion between the MLA K B Ganesh Kumar and the LDF over the location of the hospital was the reason for the delay. However, both of them reached a consensus and decided to move forward with the construction in 1.77 acres in Manjaloor ward.
The emergency department was not even started, citing space constraints on the existing hospital. It was decided to relocate the hospital to a state-of-the-art facility but even the LDF could not reach an agreement on land acquisition. As the fight between K B Ganesh Kumar MLA and the CPM leadership escalated, the district and state leadership mediated and gave permission to build the hospital. With the approval of the MLA, it was decided to set up the hospital in Manjaloor. It was also very difficult to source the money for land acquisition.
Although the block panchayat and all grama panchayats in the taluk have allocated funds for compensating the land owners, the Pathanapuram panchayat decided to divert its own funds to provide the required amount.