ROURKELA: Protesting the inordinate delay in implementation of two mega infrastructure projects, Rourkela BJP MLA and former Union Minister Dilip Ray on Thursday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the matter. In April 2015, the PM had announced to develop the RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) into Super Speciality Hospital and Medical College and complete National Highway (NH) 143 including second Brahmani bridge at the earliest. However, work is yet to start on both the projects, he said.
Ray said it was decided to upgrade a few branches of IGH as Super Speciality. However, the plan did not materialise due to stringent tender conditions. Only a Super Speciality Clinic in Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology and Nephrology is functioning on a monthly basis with help of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad.
The strength of IGH doctors has reduced to below 90 from 107 and inability of junior doctors to handle critical cases is resulting in deaths of many patients. IGH, which was supposed to be a specialised centre, has been reduced to a referral hospital, Ray said in the letter.
Though the Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways had laid foundation stone of the NH 143 project, which include four-laning of 126 km stretch from Birmitrapur to Barkote with the second Brahmani bridge at Rourkela, on July 21 2017, work is yet to start after eight months, he said.
Ray said, “There is a strong perception among the people that someone powerful is trying to sabotage the entire situation.”