SRINAGAR: A 120-bed block at the Bone and Joint Hospital in Barzulla, Srinagar, is on track to be finished by the end of the year. The hospital suffered significant damage in a fire last March.
A senior health official informed the news agency KNO that the valley’s largest orthopaedic hospital is in the process of a substantial infrastructural upgrade with the construction of a modern 120-bed hospital block.
This block is part of the Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project, funded by the World Bank, aimed at strengthening critical infrastructure. Work on the project began in 2019, following approval in 2015. The hospital had previously suffered extensive damage during the 2014 floods, with one of its buildings deemed unsafe. The fire incident last year further worsened the infrastructure’s condition.
“The new building, featuring a G+5 structure with modern earthquake-resistant technology, will house modular operation theatres, a laminar flow system, TSSU (Theatre Sterile Supply Unit), ICU, Pre & Post Operation care wards, CSSD (Central Sterile Supply Department), a specialised laundry, pneumatic tube system, and waste collection system,” the official stated.
Additionally, the hospital building will attain an IGBC (India Green Building Council) rating and implement biomedical waste management.
“The biomedical system will manage the daily generation of 140 kg of waste, ensuring proper scientific disposal, thanks to the provision for constructing an STP/ETP (Sewerage Treatment Plant & Effluent Treatment Plant) as part of the sub-project,” he explained.
The execution of the sub-project has been entrusted to NPCC (National Projects Construction Corporation) at a cost of Rs 88.94 crores. The official noted that the project incorporates various contemporary healthcare infrastructure concepts, including environmental designs, patient well-being, macro/micro-level zoning, and scope for future development while optimising space utilisation.
The hospital’s design has been finalised following extensive consultations with leading national health infrastructure experts, the health department, and hospital administration.
The official revealed that the main superstructure’s construction is nearly complete, with ongoing finishing works such as HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) installation, firefighting equipment, and other necessary installations. He anticipates that the hospital will be fully operational by the year’s end.
A senior doctor from the hospital stated that since last year’s fire incident, they have faced difficulties accommodating the large influx of patients. “However, with the new building equipped with modern amenities nearing completion, both patients and doctors can breathe a sigh of relief,” he remarked. (KNO)
