SRINAGAR: Around 75 per cent of the construction work on the 50-bedded hospital at Pahalgam has been completed, while the process for revised administrative approval of the project is underway, the government informed the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Minister for Health and Medical Education Sakeena Itoo said the remaining works were being pursued on priority and that the project was being closely monitored to address issues affecting its completion.
The minister was responding to a question raised by Pahalgam MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani.
According to the government, administrative approval for construction of the 50-bedded hospital was accorded in March 2020 at a sanctioned cost of ₹19.90 crore. The project includes construction of the hospital building besides associated civil, electrical, mechanical and allied works.
Of the sanctioned amount, ₹16.75 crore has been released so far, while ₹10.53 crore had been spent up to March 31, 2026. A further expenditure of ₹33.31 lakh has been incurred during the current financial year, the minister said.
Itoo said the DG Set had been commissioned and handed over, while the Laundry System, Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) and Sterile Tunnel Project (STP) had been supplied or installed and were currently at the commissioning stage.
Installation of the hospital lift is also underway, while the remaining mechanical and electrical components are being taken up for completion, she said.
Explaining the delay in completing the project, Itoo said an additional basement had become necessary during execution due to the site’s topography and level differences.
“This resulted in an increase in the built-up area and consequently required additional structural, architectural, allied, mechanical and electrical works,” she said, adding that the changes led to a revision in the project cost.
The minister said the post-COVID escalation in the cost of equipment and installation had also contributed to the increase, for which additional funding was being explored.
She said a review meeting had been held with all stakeholders to address the issues affecting the project and that the process for revised administrative approval had already been initiated.
“The revised Administrative Approval will be accorded after receipt and scrutiny of the revised DPR from the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir,” she said.
On a supplementary regarding the upgradation of PHCs at Pahalgam, Sallar and Aishmuqam to Sub-District Hospitals, Itoo said there was no such proposal at present.
She said the department was currently focusing on consolidation and strengthening of existing healthcare facilities.
Referring to the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS)-2022 norms, the minister said districts with a population of less than five lakh and having a functional District Hospital did not require a Sub-District Hospital.
Districts with a population between five and 10 lakh can have one SDH, while one additional SDH can be considered for every further 10 lakh population to provide comprehensive secondary healthcare services, she said.
Accordingly, a district with a population of up to 20 lakh can have one District Hospital and two SDHs, Itoo said, adding that Jammu and Kashmir already has more SDHs than the admissibility envisaged under the IPHS-2022 norms.
