HYDERABAD: The long-pending demand of the Secunderabad Cantonment residents for a full-fledged hospital in the area could get some momentum once the board elections are over on August 6.

The proposal for a 150-bed hospital, estimated to cost nearly Rs.7 crores, has got the nod from the Defence Estates headquarters in Pune long ago and Rs.5 lakhs had been sanctioned for the design, which was eventually prepared by R.V. Associates. However, there was ambiguity over where to build the hospital.

While the original proposal was to demolish the existing 71-year-old hospital at Bolarum and build the new one there, a majority of people and even political parties in the Cantonment wanted it to be at Mudfort, where the Cantonment has nine acres of land. The reason was that Mudfort would be more accessible to the public than Bolarum.

Decision by new board

The decision on the location of the hospital will be taken by the newly elected board soon after it takes oath.

"Once that part is decided, the decision will be conveyed to Pune and the rest of the process will automatically move fast," SCB chief executive officer T. Arockianathan told The Hindu .

"The first phase of the designing work is over and the model was taken to Pune in November last.

We also got concurrence from the headquarters to demolish the existing building and construct the new hospital there. However, the demand to have it in Mudfort came up after that and now, the new board will have to decide on that," he said.

Report under way

Meanwhile, a committee headed by the Commandant of the Military Hospital, Brigadier MNG Nair, is preparing a report on necessary workforce, infrastructure and other modalities for the proposed hospice.

The existing hospital, sprawled over 3.56 acres, has been in a dilapidated condition for years. With shortage of staff and even essential medicines, only the dispensary on the premises is functioning now.

Apart from the Bolarum dispensary, the SCB has only three dispensaries at Picket, Lal Bazaar and Bowenpally, all of which are short on staff and drugs.

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