Malegaon to get a modern hospital at last

Mumbai, Sep 11 (UNI) Facing flak for the non fulfillment of its promise of establishing a full-fledged hospital in Malegaon, Maharashtra Government today sanctioned the hospital proposal and said the foundation stone laying ceremony would be held within a month.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said the Malegaon Municipal Corporation will make available nine to ten acres of land on emergency basis and the total expenditure for the state-of-the-art hospital will be around Rs 17 crore.

Residential quarters for doctors and hospital employees would be taken care of, he added.

The hospital will be equipped with all modern medical facilities like CT scan, trauma care centre, ventilators, ICU wards among others.

The foundation stone will be laid by Mr Deshmukh himself and the construction work will start immediately.

Chief Secretary Dr D K Shankaran, Health Secretary Dr Vijay Satbir Singh, PWD Secretary Vijay Borge and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

Malegaon, a powerloom town situated in North Maharashtra, was rocked by powerful bomb blasts last Friday killing 38 people. In 2001, when the town witnessed communal riots, the Chief Minister had assured construction of a government hospital with basic medical amenities which was not fulfilled.

The locals vent their anger at the Government after the blasts in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi last Saturday over the non fulfillment of the promise.

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