PGI’s 250-bed hospital gets environment clearance

After being stuck for over six years for want of an environmental clearance, the UT Department of Forests and Environment has finally given its clearance for the construction of a 250-bed hospital at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

The proposed hospital will be an extension of the existing Nehru Hospital — the oldest hospital at PGIMER. The hospital will also included 90 beds dedicated for the care of cancer patients.

The hospital will come up near the F-block of the institute at an estimated cost of Rs 115 crore.

The forests department also gave environmental clearance for PGIMER's National Institute of Paramedical Sciences(NIPS) project, which started functioning in 2006 sans a dedicated building. As of now, the institute is being run from the Research Block. A plan for a separate building has been in the pipelines for nearly five years.

Awaiting clearance for other projects

Officials of the engineering department of PGIMER have blamed UT Administration's apathetic attitude in clearing vital projects of the tertiary care institute.

According to sources, PGIMER had sought environmental clearance for 11 projects, which includes parking lots and departmental buildings. However, other than the two project — NIPS and 250 bed hospital — the remaining projects fall in the forest area of PGIMER.

Santosh Kumar, director of environment and forests, said: "There was no delay on our part. There were certain conditions which were to be fulfilled by PGIMER prior to the clearance, as soon as they fulfilled those, we accorded them the clearance."

Manju Wadwalkar, PGI's official spokesperson said the clearance was a welcome step, "The institute is reeling under sever space crunch due to heavy rush of patients and this will help take the load off to some extent," he added.

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