TIRUCHY: Work on the Rs 110-crore speciality block being constructed inside the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) campus is expected to be completed by November. Chief Minister MK Stalin is likely to inaugurate the new facility in December. The project, launched in March 2024 , is coming up on a 2,600 square metres as a ground-plus-six-floor structure.
The block will house 600 beds and bring together key departments such as general medicine, surgery, dermatology, and a centralised blood bank under one roof. "All structural work has been completed. Interior finishing, tiling, waterproofing, and electrical systems are now in progress," a senior PWD engineer who is supervising the work told TNIE, adding work is progressing as per schedule.
A senior DMK functionary close to Minister KN Nehru said the project is being closely monitored to meet the deadline, he said, "This is a priority for us not just because of the elections, but because Tiruchy serves a large rural and urban population. The Chief Minister may inaugurate it in December."
The government may project this a major health care upgrade ahead of 2026 Assembly elections, party sources said. Once operational, the block will decongest existing facilities. Health Department officials said the outpatient section will be relocated to the ground and first floors of the new building. "The integrated facility will improve inter-department coordination and reduce delays in diagnostics and referrals," a senior Health Department official said.
Beyond clinical care, the hospital administration plans to level and create space around the new block to accommodate several hundreds of vehicles. At present, vehicles are parked haphazardly in the sprawling campus often resulting in chaos. Further, to manage the increase in patient footfalls, hospital authorities have sent a request to the government to appoint at least 100 additional staff nurses, supplementing the current strength of 212.
"We are in need of more staffs. In proportionate with the beds we have sought staffs. Apart from us, Nurses association have also given representation," said Dean S Kumaravel. An additional Rs 24 crore has been sanctioned for procurement of equipment and surgical instruments for various departments, sources said.