Work on Salem hospital put on the backburner?

SALEM: Squarely blaming the former DMK regime for hastily inaugurating the super-specialty hospital here and then throwing open its emergency and trauma care ward before the Assembly election, Minister for Highways K Palanisamy said the drainage and sewerage systems, and a whole lot of nitty-gritties were not in place. He could not even give a time frame by when the hospital would be made operational. Asked why there was no progress in the completion of the hospital, he said the sanctioned funds had not been fully released. Health minister would assess the needs and then officials would draw a time-frame for the opening of the  hospital. Declining to indicate when the health minister would visit Salem, he said, “We are yet to complete our thanksgiving tours,” indicating that the government had put the matter on the backburner.Of the Rs 120-crore original outlay, the Centre had sanctioned Rs 100 crore and the State Rs 20 crore. The former DMK government later sanctioned an additional fund of Rs 20 crore for the purchase of equipment.   The project was sanctioned by Dr Anbumani Ramdoss when he was the Union health minister, on the lines of the AIIMS. The hospital was inaugurated on last August 20 by then chief minister M Karunanidhi. It was just a ceremonial inauguration though, as none of the 13 operation theatres were ready for immediate use. Medical and non-medical staff were not appointed and the equipment were not installed. In the middle of January 2011, the trauma care ward was thrown open and some patients from the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam MCH were shifted there.Dr N Mohan, superintendent, Salem GH, said patients were shifted there because the sewerage contractor did not manage well. He ran into problems due to which the toilets could not be used and sanitary conditions in the trauma care ward deteriorated. After news broke out, three patients were sent from the Salem GH to the trauma care ward in the super-specialty hospital. But they were shifted back to the GH as the contractor did not fix the sewerage problem.