Srinagar, July 17 : The lift service at district hospital Anantnag is yet to see the light of the day even as the work was started seven months ago.
The non-functional lift service in the health facility, an associate hospital of the Government Medical College Anantnag, has meant continuous hardships to people, especially to the old-aged and handicapped.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent Anantnag Dr. Abdul Majeed Mahrab told that “at the time of its establishment, six years before, the hospital had space for the installation of lift services on which the work was started seven months.” It however stopped midway as “no engineer turned up to start it in the later part,” he said.
While divulging details about the installation of lifts, DGM Mechanical JKPCC Fasil Ahmad said that the job of Installation and commissioning of lifts was allotted to M/S Otis Elevators Company Chandigarh last year to complete it within six months. While the lifts were installed, he said, “Unfortunately in the aftermath of Pulwama attack, they withdrew their staff and cited security concerns.”
“On persuasion and our assurance they deputed a team to District Hospital Kulgam for which we had sought police protection while the work at Kulgam is going on. A team has been deputed for commissioning for both the lifts at District Hospital Anantnag and Kulgam, who have assured us to commission one lift by or before 25th of this month and the second one by or before 20th August.”
Meanwhile the work on the ‘foundation stand’ of Block A has been stayed by the orders of district court Anatntnag which was later on upheld by High Court.
Mohammad Hussain Dar DGM JKPCC (5th Unit) said that “tenders were floated twice but were stayed first by district court Anantnag and later on upheld by honorable High Court Srinagar.”
Expressing hope that the work will be started very soon, Dar said that the construction material has been already made available at the site. “We hope work will start very soon once the stay is vacated,” he added. (GNS)
