ROURKELA: Work on upgradation of RSP Ispat General Hospital (IGH) into Ispat Post-Graduate Medical Institute & Super Speciality Hospital (IPGMISSH) has gained pace with the first phase targeted to be completed before September 2020.
After considerable delay and political blame game, Central PSU NBCC (India) Ltd in August 2018, had bagged the work order for the project. The upgradation project has been taken up at a revised cost of around Rs 294.84 crore.
IGH sources said work is on full swing for construction of the super speciality block, auditorium and medical institute.
General Secretary of Rourkela Ispat Karkhana Karmachari Sangh (RIKKS) HS Bal said the project is moving ahead satisfactorily and the RSP authorities have set a target to complete the first phase before September next year.
Quoting top officials of IGH, Bal said that the process for appointment of 326 para-medical staff for the new facilities has started and new doctors will be appointed soon.
The IPGMISSH will have 156 beds and super-speciality wings like cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurology and nephrology. The new super-speciality block, 500-seat auditorium and the medical institute will be
spread across 3 lakh sq metres, the 685-bed IGH with its sprawling campus and medical infrastructure was considered one of the best hospitals in the eastern region. But, in recent years health care services have deteriorated in the hospital owing to a shortage of doctors.
Earlier in April, the Prime Minister’s Office in a written reply to former BJP MLA and ex-Union Minister Dilip Ray had informed the IGH project was taken up at a revised estimated cost of Rs 294.82 crore and SAIL had already handed over Rs 98 crore to NBCC. The Union Ministry of Steel had also transferred Rs 105.95 crore to SAIL for the project in February this year.
Contract workers cry foul
Alleging exploitation, a section of contract workers at the upgradation project of RSP-run Ispat General Hospital (IGH) briefly stopped work on Monday. The workers have been engaged by sub-contract firm URC Constructions Pvt Ltd of NBCC India Ltd.
They alleged delayed payment of dues, longer work hours, among other issues. Labour Enforcement Officer Debendra Ram on Monday visited the project site for inspection. Ram found that workers were not being paid on time. He added that payment records have been sought for examination.