Shimla: Approach road to Chamiyana hospital gets forest clearance

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 3

A major hurdle in making the Atal Super-Specialty Medical Institute operational at Chamiyana, on the outskirts of the city, has been removed. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has given the Stage-I clearance under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) for metalling and widening the approach road to the hospital.

Facilities to be made available

• 10 super-specialty departments like neurology, cardiology, nephrology, urology, endocrinology, plastic surgery and gastroenterology
• 50 ICUs and 280 normal beds having centralised supply of oxygen. Nine operation theatres and two cath laboratories
• Kidney transplant, urology procedures, laparoscopic surgery and lithotripsy services

"We have received the Stage-I clearance. The Stage-II approval is relatively less cumbersome and we are hoping to receive it soon," Medical Education Director Rajneesh Pathania said.

Around half of the 3-km approach road to the hospital is narrow and un-metalled. At certain points, the gradient of the mud road is very steep with dangerous curves. Without any railings or crash barriers, the road will become even more dangerous due to fog in the winter.

The previous BJP government had inaugurated the hospital, which was built at a cost of Rs 262 crore, in September last year. However, the hospital could not be made functional in the absence of a proper approach road and FCA clearance for widening it. The Public Works Department (PWD) will start the widening work after the final FCA approval.

Besides the approach road, the hospital is also facing the challenge of deploying manpower - healthcare staff as well as for other services like air conditioning, sewage treatment plant (STP), central heating, lifts, electricity, etc. There's a shortage of healthcare staff, particularly nursing and paramedical staff and no on-campus residential facility for them. The hospital will house 10 super-specialty departments, which will be shifted here from the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Shimla.

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