It’s curtains for 9-decade-old hospital

Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, February 4

Around 90 year old, Dr BL Kapur Memorial Hospital run by the Lahore Hospital Society would be closed down permanently within a few days. The 100 bed hospital and a nursing school have its roots attached to Lahore.

The hospital has already sought permission from the Labour Department for the closure and has also submitted an undertaking for clearing pending dues of employees working in the hospital.

SS Randhawa, Assistant Labour Commissioner said, “The undertaking to clear all pending dues has been submitted by the hospital. The department has already conducted three-four meetings with the management to ensure that pending dues of the employees are cleared by the hospital authorities. There are nearly 70-75 employees in the hospital and we will ensure that they get all their dues. All the legal formalities are being done and closing down of the hospital is just a matter of time now.”

However, he does not know the reason behind the closure of the hospital. “We are not concerned about it. We are only taking care of the employees working in the hospital,” said Randhawa.

According to sources, the hospital is being closed down as lease of the same has not been extended by the government. Moreover, the hospital was running into loss. The hospital has been facing a loss of Rs 5.16 crore as on March 2018, said sources.

Sources further revealed that nearly 241 shops built along the boundary wall of the hospital were rented out which also has been cited as one of the major violation of the lease.

Numerous questions remain unanswered as who would collect rent from the shops and would the government take any action against shopkeepers?

Rich historical past

Dr BL Kapur located near Sabzi Mandi Road has been a landmark for the old city area. Dr Kapur started the hospital in Lahore in 1930 as a nursing home. After partition, Dr Kapur left Lahore and commenced the Ludhiana Maternity Hospital with the help of the government and public donations. As the hospital expanded, it started functioning from Naulakha Garden on evacuee property allotted to the district authorities. Later, when the building was found inadequate for the hospital, the then Chief Minister, Dr Gopi Chand, allotted a land known as Roshini Ground under the Lahore Hospital Society Trust for construction of the charitable hospital.