Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh on Saturday said a 75-bedded critical care unit will come up at the local civil hospital soon. He said the project is being undertaken at an approximate cost of ₹10 crore.
He made the statement during a surprise visit to take stock of the renovation work at the facility, which began in (month here) last year. This was the health minister’s third visit to the hospital since June 2024.
According to the minister, the lifts at the hospital have been repaired, washrooms are being renovated, operation theaters are being upgraded with latest equipment, flooring has been changed, intensive care unit will be made functional, the roads are being repaired and a facilitation center for patients and attendants is being constructed as part of the renovation work.
“This major upgrade will bring the facility in line with corporate hospitals. We will dedicate this upgraded facility to the public by March,” said the minister.
Dr Singh said an administrative block will be established at the hospital to look after issues of hygiene, infrastructure, sewage and medicines, among others. According to the minister, this move will relieve the ‘burdened’ staff of administrative work.
During the latest visit, the minister once again pointed to eradicating the rodent problem from the mother and child wing as one of the biggest achievements during his tenure.
However, just last month, purported videos showing rats running amok in the same ward did the rounds on social media. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
During his visit in June last year, the minister had announced that the intensive care unit (ICU) would be made functional ‘soon’ and took a tour of the ward. In a visit in November, he claimed that the ICU was made functional. However, the ICU continues to remain locked. During Wednesday’s visit, Dr Singh said the ICU will start operations in March, when the renovation work is completed. Hindustan Times