Arun Jaitley inaugurates multi-specialty hospital OPD in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 18: Keeping in view the outbreak of dengue and swine-flu in Delhi, the out-patient department of an under-construction multi-specialty hospital here was today thrown open to the public by Union Minister Arun Jaitley.

Spread over 8,540 sqm, the eight-storey hospital in Kalakaji area in south Delhi is coming up at a cost of over Rs 52 crore, and will be a 100-bedded facility.

"I am happy to know that the OPD facilities for this renovated hospital will now be available to people of Delhi. And, as has been proposed, it will be made into a 100-bedded hospital," Jaitley said at the inauguration function held at its premises.

Built originally in late 1950s as a single-storey building with 30 beds and named 'Colony Hospital', the renovation work began in 2007, but due to environmental and other clearance issues, the work on it got stalled, a senior South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official said.

"Since, the city is battling dengue and now swine-flu cases too have stared coming up, this OPD facility will come as a relief for people. The rest work on the hospital will continue," BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri said.

"We had to fight with the previous Delhi government to get funds for this project, and now again we need more funds to complete the work, and we will seek those funds from this AAP government," the South Delhi MP claimed.

The earthquake-resistant building has been built following green norms and also has two basements.

Presently only two storeys have been built. Once completed, the hospital would provide affordable, effective and quality secondary as well as tertiary healthcare facilities, the SDMC official said.

"Some of the facilities after completion of the project will include, general surgery, burns ward, ICU, ENT, emergency services, imaging services," he said.

"There are around 200 healthcare facilities under the jurisdiction of the three corporations in the city, and SDMC has about 70 dispensaries, few polyclinics but this multi-specialty hospital would be one of the best in the entire MCD," the official said.

The renovated hospital has been renamed by the BJP-ruled SDMC after former Delhi Minister the late Poornima Sethi.

"She was a party (BJP) leader who called a spade. I went to jail during the Emergency era with Hansraj Sethi, her father. She was an institution in herself and praised by both her admirers and critics. And, I am happy that learn that now this will be a permanent memorial to her," the Union Finance Minister said.

PTI