KENDRAPARA: Commissioner-cum-secretary to Works department Dr Krishan Kumar on Monday expressed his displeasure over the tardy progress of the new district headquarters hospital project, coming up at Shyamgudia village on the outskirts of Kendrapara town.
During his visit to the town on the day, Dr Kumar inspected the project and termed its progress unsatisfactory. He directed the construction company to speed up the work and complete it within a month.
The upcoming facility, which will also have a 100-bed mother and child hospital, is being constructed on four acre land at a cost of Rs 110 crore. The foundation stone of the project was laid in 2016 and it was supposed to be completed within two years.
The delay in the project has also invited ire of locals. Vice president of Kendrapara Citizen Forum, Amarbar Biswal said the authorities were urged to expedite work on the hospital but in vain. Former chairman of Kendrapara municipality, Bijay Krushna Sahoo said the construction company entrusted with the project has engaged less labourers than required.
“We want the hospital to come up soon as it will help locals forced to travel to Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and other faraway places to seek advanced treatment,” he said.
The 120-year-old government hospital in the town caters to a large number of patients. Due to unavailability of beds and adequate medical facilities, doctors often refer patients to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack.
