Anantnag, Oct 22 (KNO): How long will the people of south Kashmir have to wait for a safe and adequately equipped maternity hospital? This question has once again come to the fore after the Jammu and Kashmir government said the proposed 250-bed Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in Anantnag is awaiting finalisation of a suitable site, despite an earlier announcement of Rs 86 crore for the project.
The development has raised fresh concerns among residents, particularly pregnant women, newborns and their families, as the existing maternity hospital at Sher Bagh continues to function from an ageing and congested building that was declared unsafe by the Fire and Emergency Services Department in 2014.
For thousands of patients from Anantnag and neighbouring districts, the proposed hospital was expected to provide a permanent solution to years of inadequate infrastructure, overcrowding and difficulties in accessing maternal and child healthcare services. However, with the initially identified site at Janglat Mandi now being reconsidered, the project faces another hurdle, prolonging uncertainty over when construction will actually begin.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the proposed location at Janglat Mandi had been found unsuitable because of insufficient space, and the government was now exploring alternative sites.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a district review meeting in Anantnag, the CM, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said funds for the project were available, and work could begin once a suitable location was finalised.
"As per the report submitted by the department, there is not enough space available at Janglat Mandi for the proposed hospital. We are, therefore, looking for another suitable location," he said, adding that elected representatives, the Health Minister, officials of the Health Department and civil society members would jointly deliberate on the issue and decide on an appropriate site.
While the Chief Minister's assurance has renewed hopes of the project moving forward, residents have questioned why the location was not finalised earlier, particularly when the government had already announced a substantial allocation.
During the budget session in March this year, the government announced an allocation of Rs 86 crore for the construction of a 250-bed MCH hospital at Janglat Mandi. The proposal had already been under consideration before the announcement. In December last year, a proposal for a 200-bed maternity and childcare hospital on the premises of the GMC Anantnag-associated Janglat Mandi Hospital had been submitted, with the capacity subsequently increased to 250 beds. However, the project failed to move forward under the proposed NABARD funding mechanism.
Principal GMC Srinagar, Dr Junaid Salam Wani, had earlier told KNO that a detailed project report had been prepared, vetted and submitted to the Administrative Department. "We submitted a detailed DPR, duly vetted, to the Administrative Department, but because of lack of funds it has not gone through this year under NABARD," he had said.
The latest statement by the Chief Minister, indicating that funds are available but the location needs to be changed, has added a new dimension to the issue. Residents now want the government to clarify the project's funding arrangements, finalise an alternative site without delay and establish a definite timeline for tendering and construction.
The urgency of the proposed project is underscored by the condition of the existing maternity hospital at Sher Bagh. The facility has been functioning from a dilapidated building declared unsafe by the Fire and Emergency Services Department in 2014. Despite the safety concerns, the hospital continues to cater to a substantial patient population.
Located in the congested Sher Bagh locality, the hospital faces severe space constraints. Although the child care section has already been shifted to Janglat Mandi, the maternity facility continues to operate under considerable infrastructural pressure. Hospital staff have pointed out that the available infrastructure includes only two labour wards, four surgical wards and one operation theatre, which they say is inadequate given the volume of patients. During periods of heavy rush, patients have reportedly been accommodated in corridors, while multiple patients are sometimes required to share beds.
The Sher Bagh maternity hospital caters to patients from across Anantnag and receives women and children from neighbouring districts, including Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian, besides patients from Ramban and parts of the Chenab Valley. The extensive catchment area adds to the pressure on its already limited infrastructure.
Residents said the announcement of Rs 86 crore had raised expectations that the project would move towards implementation, but the reconsideration of the site has once again created uncertainty. They urged the administration to ensure that the process of identifying an alternative location does not lead to further delays.
The present situation is not the first time authorities have attempted to shift maternity services to a safer facility. Around seven years ago, a proposal was made to relocate the hospital to the Rehmat-e-Alam building at Sarnal, where nearly Rs 13 crore had reportedly been spent on construction. However, the plan was abandoned after a safety assessment by IIT Jammu found the structure unsuitable, recommending retrofitting of vital beams at an estimated cost of around Rs 8 crore, which did not materialise.
"How long will the people of south Kashmir continue to suffer because of delays in establishing a hospital that has been discussed for years? The existing building has been declared unsafe, yet women continue to depend on it for maternity services. The government must treat this as an urgent healthcare issue rather than allowing it to remain caught between administrative decisions and funding arrangements," said Sameer Ahmad, a local resident.
Residents have demanded a time-bound roadmap for the hospital's construction, clarity on the Rs 86 crore allocation and the funding mechanism, and immediate temporary improvements at the existing hospital to reduce the difficulties faced by women and newborns until a permanent facility becomes operational—(KNO)