Five year on, Sopur hospital still not ready for patients

FROM OUR CORRESPPONDENT

DIMORIA, June 11: In a State  where hundreds of patients die due to lack of access to proper  medical care, a 200-bebed District  hospitals built by the Assam government under til Health Mission (NHM) at Sopur at a cost of over Rs 20 crore are still not ready to take in patients — five  years after the project was started.

The foundation stone of the 200-beded Sopur District  hospital , located at Sopur on the Guwahati outskirts, was laid by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on May 2 in 2010 in the presence of then State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and then Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora.    

But even after completion of the construction of the hospital, the hospital has not been opened for patient till today. Health department sources said the authorities are not in a position to open the hospital due to lack of doctors and nurses.

Local people have expressed reaction over the delay in opening the hospital.

“It’s a shame that two hospitals meant to serve the people have been lying unutilized for so long,” a local said.

Sources said several equipments of the hospital have already been damaged due to left without using.

A source , however, said that the Health department is planning to open the hospital on June 15.

“Even though doctors and nurses have not been appointed , the health department is planning to open the hospital,” said the source.