Srinagar, Apr 12: More than 17 months after its announcement, construction of a 249-bedded Maternal and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in Anantnag has yet to begin, as the proposal still awaits administrative approval.
In November 2024, the health department directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the facility at Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital, Janglatmandi, and to take up the project on a fast-track basis.
The initial DPR, estimated at Rs 86.5 crore, was submitted to the Finance Department under the NABARD Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XXXI), but was returned seeking clarity on funding sources and the inclusion of furniture and furnishings.
PWD has since revised the proposal.
“The revised project cost is Rs 94.44 crore,” Superintending Engineer (SE) Syed Ishfaq Ahmad said, adding that the updated DPR was forwarded on April 1 to the principal of GMC Anantnag.
Principal GMC Anantnag, Dr. Ruksana Najeeb, said the institutional process has been completed. “We forwarded the DPR to the Health Secretary for approval a few days ago,” she said, adding that copies have also been sent to the Finance Secretary and the Director of Health.
Officials, however, said the revised DPR continues to list NABARD as the funding source.
“About 6.5 Kanals of land has been demarcated within the premises of Mirza Memorial Beg (MAMB) Hospital , GMC Anantnag, at Janglatmandi. The proposed facility will connect to A Block of the existing hospital,” an official said.
He, however, added that the government is also exploring alternative options. “Sites at the GMC main campus in Dialgam and at Sherbagh, after dismantling the existing dilapidated MCCH structures, are also under consideration,” the official said.
The government informed the Assembly in February that Rs 5 crore has been earmarked under the 2025–26 CAPEX budget and that the project may be taken up under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme in 2026–27.
Meanwhile, services continue under strain at the existing maternity hospital in the congested Sherbagh area.
Declared unsafe by the PWD and Fire and Emergency Services in 2014, the facility remains the primary centre for maternal care in south Kashmir, handling more than 40,000 outpatient visits and about 7,000 admissions every month.
Originally built for 40 beds, the hospital is operating far beyond capacity, with only two labour rooms, four surgical wards and a single operation theatre.
“In many cases, two to three patients share a single bed,” an official said, citing increased pressure on resources and a higher risk of infections.
The paediatric section was shifted last year to GMC Anantnag after repeated fire incidents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) caused by electrical faults.
The facility has witnessed multiple fire incidents in the past.
A 2015 blaze damaged parts of the outpatient department (OPD), including gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatric sections, while a gas leak in March 2022 triggered another fire that injured 12 people, including two children.
Efforts to relocate the hospital have not succeeded.
A proposal to shift services to Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital on KP Road was dropped after safety assessments by IIT Jammu and NIT Srinagar found the structure unsuitable under post-2005 earthquake standards.
The building, originally constructed by a local trust, was later expanded by government agencies—including the Housing Department, JKPCC and finally R&B—at a cost of Rs 13 crore.
Experts recommended retrofitting only the lower floors and strengthening key structural elements at an estimated Rs 8 crore, in addition to interior work costing about Rs 25 crore. The proposal was eventually shelved.
The site has around 30 Kanals of land.
With the new project still awaiting approval, the Sherbagh Maternity facility continues to operate under severe space constraints and safety risks.
Residents have called for interim measures. “Like the children’s section, the Maternity hospital should also be shifted temporarily until the new facility comes up,” said Tariq Ahmad, a local resident.
