MC, Health Dept to jointly run Dhab Khatika Hospital

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 22

Ending the deadlock between the Municipal Corporation and the Health Department over the possession of century-old building of Princess of Wales Jenana Hospital at Dhab Khatika, Medical Education and Research Minister OP Soni said the facility would be run by both the departments jointly.

Earlier, the Health Department had spent an amount of around Rs 2.34 crore on renovation of the building. But after the work was completed, the MC had refused to give the control to the Health Department citing technicalities. Officials of the Health Department had also brought the matter to the notice of OP Soni in a recent meeting.

Soni, along with Mayor Karamjit Singh Rintu, visited the building on Wednesday. He said that new machinery costing Rs 2.5 crore had been purchased for the hospital. He said the government had also appointed doctors, staff nurses, surgeons, lab technicians, dental doctors at the facility. The hospital would also have facilities as digital X-ray, dental chairs and phototherapy unit.

Rintu said the MC would also provide financial assistance to the hospital. Civil Surgeon Prabhdeep Kaur Johal said the facility had been developed as a modern Urban Community Health Centre with all medical needs of the local population in sight.