Three months after inauguration, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital's new multi-specialty block remains largely unused. Only the first floor is operational, despite the facility's capacity for 300 inpatients and 1,000 outpatients daily.
Coimbatore: The new multi-specialty block at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), inaugurated three months ago, is yet to become fully functional. Despite its impressive capacity and modern facilities, only the first floor of the seven-storeyed building is currently in full use.
Built at a cost of Rs 163.53 crore, the new block spans 1,95,937 square feet and is equipped to accommodate 300 inpatients and handle around 1,000 outpatients per day. However, the majority of its facilities remain unused.
The ground floor houses the emergency ward and radiology department with advanced imaging facilities, including CT scan, MRI scan, digital X-ray, doppler scan, mammogram, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound scan. Presently, only the digital X-ray unit is operational.
While the first floor, housing surgery wards, is fully functional, the remaining floors are yet to be utilized. The second floor is designated for an intensive care unit (ICU) and a ward for burn victims. The third floor is allocated for the gastroenterology ward and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, while the fourth floor is earmarked for the neuro and spine surgery ward and an ICU. The fifth floor is allotted for the surgical gastroenterology ward with an ICU.
V Eshwaran, president of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam, emphasized the importance of the new block, stating, "CMCH serves as the primary government hospital for patients from Coimbatore district, neighboring Tirupur and the Nilgiris districts, and parts of Kerala. The hospital management should expedite the process to make all the floors at the new block functional at the earliest."
CMCH dean A Nirmala explained that the process of shifting beds to the new block and installing gadgets and instruments is underway. "The process will be completed soon. Once the wards are shifted to the new building, we will share and allocate the space in the old buildings to other departments that need more space for their wards," she added.
The delay in fully utilizing this state-of-the-art facility raises concerns about the efficient use of resources and the timely improvement of healthcare services in the region.
Built at a cost of Rs 163.53 crore, the new block spans 1,95,937 square feet and is equipped to accommodate 300 inpatients and handle around 1,000 outpatients per day. However, the majority of its facilities remain unused.
The ground floor houses the emergency ward and radiology department with advanced imaging facilities, including CT scan, MRI scan, digital X-ray, doppler scan, mammogram, fluoroscopy, and ultrasound scan. Presently, only the digital X-ray unit is operational.
While the first floor, housing surgery wards, is fully functional, the remaining floors are yet to be utilized. The second floor is designated for an intensive care unit (ICU) and a ward for burn victims. The third floor is allocated for the gastroenterology ward and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, while the fourth floor is earmarked for the neuro and spine surgery ward and an ICU. The fifth floor is allotted for the surgical gastroenterology ward with an ICU.
V Eshwaran, president of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam, emphasized the importance of the new block, stating, "CMCH serves as the primary government hospital for patients from Coimbatore district, neighboring Tirupur and the Nilgiris districts, and parts of Kerala. The hospital management should expedite the process to make all the floors at the new block functional at the earliest."
CMCH dean A Nirmala explained that the process of shifting beds to the new block and installing gadgets and instruments is underway. "The process will be completed soon. Once the wards are shifted to the new building, we will share and allocate the space in the old buildings to other departments that need more space for their wards," she added.
The delay in fully utilizing this state-of-the-art facility raises concerns about the efficient use of resources and the timely improvement of healthcare services in the region.