Maternity hospital awaits ‘still-born’ building

Hyderabad: Patients and attendants are forced to wait for longer hours in the sweltering heat in the out patients ward and sleep outside or under the tree at Koti Maternity hospital which has been witnessing more than 500 patients every day. Though the construction of the new building was taken up in the year 2010 it is not yet completed and is moving at a sluggish pace. 

The hospital is running on two units and 40 medical officers including superintendent, RMO, Associate professor, Assistant professor and other medical officers are on duty. Dr Shailaja Prasad Superintendent of Koti Maternity hospital said that currently two units are running, and we would soon get other four units as the flow of OP is around 500 especially on Monday. 

She also added that if the new building is open to use space problem will be solved. ‘For the present, we have requested the government to provide Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad in addition to the new building for the easy movement of the patients as there would be sufficient space for the attendants during the visit to hospital’ she added. 

When enquired about the construction of new building, a contractor Venkateshwar Rao said that the construction of the building has been on for more than seven years. When queried about the reason for the delayed progress in construction he said the government is yet to make the payment of Rs 4 crore. However, the medical officer still claims that the construction of the new building will be completed.