8 years on, govt yet to provide funds for 50-bed hospital at Dharampur

Successive state governments have failed to provide funds for setting up a 50-bed community health centre at Dharampur in Solan district though the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had given Rs 3.67 crore eight years ago for the demolition of its old building.

As the Parwanoo-Solan road was being expanded to four lanes, the old hospital building abutting the road was demolished and a compensation of Rs 3.67 crore received was deposited in the government treasury .

This fund was supposed to be spent on the construction of a new building. Though the issue of the re-allocation of funds for the construction of a 50-bed new hospital building was taken up by the health officials with the state government several times, but in vain.

Kasauli MLA Vinod Sultanpuri has also raised the issue in the Vidhan Sabha but the state government continues to dilly-dally over the payment of funds. Each time the officials move a proposal to seek funds, a plethora of objections are raised, including justification for the estimated budget of Rs 17 crore required for setting up a 50-bed facility.

Solan Chief Medical Officer Dr Amit Ranjan says that an estimate of Rs 17 crore was prepared years ago and a proposal was sent to the state government for the approval of funds several times but all in vain.

The hospital was shifted to a new building after the old structure was demolished. Given the influx of patients into this public health centre, it was upgraded to a 50-bed community health centre in 2021. Three bighas lying in the vicinity of the hospital was earmarked for the construction of the upgraded facility, which was to have better lab and specialists.

This hospital caters to the residents of the Kasauli Assembly segment where over 81 per cent of the population resides in rural areas. With no other Community Health Centre in the area, the rural people are denied proper healthcare as the hospital lacks both staff and facilities.

There is only one doctor or two in the centre and it is difficult to administer requisite healthcare services even in emergency cases. Patients are forced to visit either Solan or MMU Medical College, Sultanpur, consuming crucial time. Located along accident prone Parwanoo-Solan highway, there is an urgent need to set up an upgraded hospital with emergency staff and facilities.

Himachal Tribune