Kakinada: Efforts are being made to mobilise Rs 500 crore for the reconstruction of the Government General Hospital in Kakinada after its demolition.Earlier, experts from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTUK) inspected the hospital buildings. They felt these cannot be restored and suggested their demolition before a new hospital could be constructed at the place. In this regard, district collector S. Shan Mohan has submitted a comprehensive plan to the state government. In his PowerPoint presentation to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he pointed out that Tatas have constructed a 500-bed hospital in Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh. He pointed out that a similar amount could be mobilised from major corporate companies operating in the region, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation and Reliance, which deal with business worth thousands of crores.GGH, Kakinada, caters majorly to five districts in erstwhile East and West Godavari regions. Though the government hospital at Eluru is being upgraded to a medical college, many patients still prefer Kakinada GGH owing to the expertise of its doctors.GGH had been constructed in the 1940s and 1960s with more than 45 different buildings covering a total built-up area of 7.50 lakh square feet spread across 22.95 acres. Out of these, two major buildings, constructed in 1961, are in a dilapidated condition. They need to be demolished and reconstructed. “There is no vacant land available to construct new buildings of this scale. The only way to develop new buildings is to demolish the old buildings and construct new structures at the same location,” said district collector Shan Mohan.Sources say the Netherlands and other European countries provide loans for development of such projects. However, the central government has to get these funds.Bharatiya Janata Party Kakinada district president B. Visweswara Rao said they would exert pressure on ONGC and Reliance to construct the hospital, just as Tatas have done in Varanasi.Kakinada GGH superintendent Lavanya Kumari said their hospital serves around 1,800 outpatients. There are more than 1,600 inpatients when the existing beds are 1,200.
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