Antony to open new OP Block at Ekm. General Hospital

Kochi, May 15 (UNI) Defence Minister A K Antony will inaugurate the new out patients (OP) block of the Ernakulam General Hospital here on May 18, Erankulam District Collector M Beena said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Dr Beena said that the first floor of the three-storey building had been completed and this was being thrown open to the public.

So far, Rs 80 lakh had been spent on the new building. Funds for it had been allocated from the MLA Development Fund. While former minister K V Thomas, MLA, had allocated Rs one crore, former MLA Ludy Luis had allocated Rs 30 lakh.

Dr Beena said the mortuary at the general hospital would also be renovated. Dr Sebastian Paul, MP, had promised to allocate Rs ten lakh for it.

Talking about the proposed Kochi Metro, the collector said that a meeting convened by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan here recently had elicited the views of various sections of people on the project, including the business community which was opposing the present alignment of the Metro, running through the main shopping area of MG Road.

These opinions had been passed on to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which had prepared the route map of the Kochi Metro.

UNI ARC KKS1805