A 200-bed building constructed by the government and handed over to the hospital three years ago remains unused as it developed cracks immediately after construction. [break]
For the past six months, the facility has been under investigation by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) because of concerns over construction quality.
The hospital administration said the bed limitation has made it impossible to cope with the pressure. The hospital currently has 314 beds.
“Cracks in the newly constructed building have prevented us from adding more beds,” said Dr Tirtha Raj Burlakoti, director of the hospital, adding that they have not been able to decide about using the new facility as they have not yet received the CIAA´s report.
The hospital has been sending ailing children to private hospitals for the past three months, Dr Burlakoti said.
The new 200-bed facility had already developed cracks when it was handed over to the hospital management.
The facility was built by Sakura Nirman Sewa at the cost of Rs 4,500,000.
After seeing the cracks in the building, the hospital administration had asked the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) to carry out inspection and ascertain whether the building was safe for use. But the DUDBC is yet to submit its report to the hospital management.
Apart from building the facility, the government has also provided the hospital with beds and necessary equipment for operating the 200-bed facility.
“Machineries are gathering dust in the store,” Dr Burlakoti said adding, “Had the building been operational, the capacity of the hospital would have nearly doubled.”
Apart from being compelled to turn back patients regularly, lack of space has also impeded the hospital´s plans to expand specialized services.
The hospital recently started providing specialized services for cardiac disease, nephrology, neurology, oncology and respiratory diseases.
“But we are only providing out-patient services as we do not have space to start indoor services,” he added.
Bhagawati Kafle, secretary of the CIAA, said the commission is investigating the construction, and pledged to promptly send an inspection team to check whether the new building meets standards if that was what´s required to clear it for use.
“What you see there [the improved state of the building] now is largely because of the CIAA´s investigation and pressure exerted by it,” Kafle said.
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