Jajpur: Advanced healthcare is still a dream for people in industrial district of Jajpur, as several healthcare projects like an ESI hospital, a trauma care centre and a super specialty hospital by Jindal and an urban CHC are yet to take off.
According to reports, the state government had proposed to the Centre to establish a hospital under the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) at Duburi in Kalinganagar area.
The ESI hospital holds much importance for the people engaged in various industrial units in the district. However, the project has failed to make headway during the last seven years.
Similarly, a trauma care centre was proposed at Panikoili. Sadly, the tender for construction of its building has been cancelled for the second time.
Moreover, there has been no progress on the proposed 100-bed Jindal Super Specialty Hospital and an Urban CHC at Jajpur Road. As far as the 100-bed ESI hospital is concerned, the district administration has not gone beyond identifying the land at Duburi.
Three patches of land, each comprising five acres, have been identified at three places under Sukinda and Danagadi tehsils. A joint verification team tasked to identify land for the ESI hospital has submitted its report February 4, 2020 to the government.
The ESIC director had instructed the regional director of the ESIC to visit the earmarked land and submit a report by May 14, 2020. Though almost a year has passed since then, work on the project has remained a non-starter.
There are three ESI dispensaries at Ferrochrome, Pankapal and Dhanmandal, but workers say they fail to avail of proper healthcare facilities at these dispensaries for shortage of doctors.
However, the state government has approved setting up a medical college in the district and currently work on its infrastructure is in full swing. But the trauma care centre at Panikoili is still at the tender process.
The Works Department had floated a tender for the trauma care centre November 23, 2020 but it was learnt that no bidder took part in the tender before its deadline expired. The department floated another tender December 30, 2020.
This time, only one agency took part in the bidding, but it failed to qualify as per the guidelines. On the other hand, Rs 66 crore has been allocated for building the proposed trauma care centre at Panikoili.
The trauma care centre holds much significance for the district as accident cases are on the rise on the three NHs passing through the Jajpur.
Various outfits had demanded establishment of a government medical college at Panikoili, but the administration allegedly suppressed the agitation with the promise of a trauma care centre.
Jajpur Road with a population of nearly 1.5 lakhs is close to Kalinganagar. But it is alleged that DMF fund is not being spent for the development of the mining hub at Jajpur Road.
There are proposals for an Urban CHC and a 200-bed hospital at Jajpur Road. Jindal Super Specialty Hospital has been proposed at Chhotraypur, but the land for the project has not yet been identified.
Executive engineer of the Works Department, Arun Kumar Patnaik said that the first tender for the trauma care centre was cancelled and the second tender also met with a similar fate.
PNN
