Ram Manohar Lohia hospital re-development plan hits roadblock

The plan to set up a super-speciality building under the re-development plan of Ram Manohar Lohia hospital has hit a roadblock as almost half the allotted four acres of land fall in the President’s Estate.

The Union Health Ministry has requested President Pranab Mukherjee to spare the 1.74 acres of land for the purpose.

In a letter to the President’s Secretary, the ministry said that a joint re-survey of the land conducted by the Delhi Development Authority, Central Public Works Department and Land and Development officials revealed that of the 3.99 acres of land at ‘G’ point near the trauma block, 1.74 acres belong to the President’s Estate.

The ministry said the construction of the proposed super speciality block would not be possible without the allotment of the 1.74 acres and requested Mukherjee to consider transferring the land for the building.

The proposed building under the re-development plan of RML hospital, which caters to over 2000 patients a day, is under active consideration of the Union Health Ministry. The project will create 447 additional beds with state-of-the-art facilities.

The new facilities would include services like cancer care centre. It would also have paediatric cardiology services to the existing cardiac care, surgical gastroenterology and endocrinology services to complement these departments and extend transplant facility for organ donation and transplant.

Hospital Medical Superintendent H K Kar said they were awaiting a response from the President’s office. “Our hospital has registered an increased patient load over the years and there is an urgent need of adding beds and expanding the services. The new building will definitely help us to manage the patient load and offer them better medical aid,” Kar said.

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