Ministry of health and family welfare secretary Keshav Desiraju (centre) at the under-construction hospital of JPNAIIMS in Patna on Friday. Picture by Jai Prakash

The Union health secretary declined to say when the Jai Prakash Narayan All India Institute of Medical Sciences (JPNAIIMS) would be completed, before and after visting the construction site on Friday.

Earlier, before visiting the site, Keshav Desiraju, secretary, Union health and family welfare department, refused comment on the hospital completion date saying he would have to visit the site and then comment.

“Bina construction site ko dekhe main kaise kuch bata sakta hoon (how can I say anything before seeing the construction site),” Desiraju said.

Desiraju was at JPNAIIMS to attend a workshop on Leadership and Management, organised by the health hub on its premises.

He visited the site and reviewed the pace of the construction work but kept mum. JPNAIIMS director Dr G.K. Singh said the hospital would be ready by August this year.

The hospital’s construction has been mired in controversies owing to the sluggish pace of work.

At the workshop, Desiraju talked about various issues plaguing the country. “No one should die because of malnutrition. The Union government is trying its best to tackle this problem. We also do not want any woman to die of diseases like anaemia. The condition of primary health centres (PHCs) across the country is not good. Efforts should be made to improve the condition of PHCs. Doctors should not go for shortcuts while treating patients and medical students, too, should not neglect their studies. There should be a sense of discipline among medics and medicos,” he said.

The health principal secretary, Vyasji, spoke on acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and the areas it affected in the state last year.

“Ten districts were badly affected by acute encephalitis syndrome last year. Around 300 children lost their lives. The disease has to be tackled and the state government is focusing on its preparedness to combat the virus.”

During the workshop, JPNAIIMS head of anaesthesia department Umesh Bhadani spoke on the health hub’s infrastructure, while Dr Vijaysheel Gautam, the head of surgery department, said the hospital would provide round-the-clock world-class trauma services, including life- and limb-saving treatments.

Patna High Court had directed the contractor to complete the construction of the out patient department (OPD) to start treatment at AIIMS by July 31, 2013.Earlier, B.L. Kashyap, the contractor, in an affidavit assured the court of completing construction of all wings of the hospital by March 31, 2014, and the building of the OPD by December 2013.