Come January, AIIMS-Patna would start its much-awaited indoor services with 100-bed facility.

Following months of delay in getting the buildings constructed on the AIIMS-Patna campus, the authorities expect some development in the next couple of months. AIIMS-Patna director G.K. Singh said the necessary buildings were yet to be handed over to him.

Confirming that the premier health hub — modelled on AIIMS-Delhi where people from the state make beeline for quality treatment around the year — would not be able to start 174-bed indoor services, he said: “According to the plan, BL Kashyap & Sons, the firm engaged in construction work of AIIMS-Patna, was to hand over the three buildings — ayush and PMR, emergency and trauma and two floors of outpatient department — to us by July 31. So far, only ayush and PMR building has been handed over to us and that too very late. The ayush building has been handed over in October much beyond the deadline. The emergency and trauma building has still not been handed over to us. In these conditions, we would be able to start hardly a 100-bed indoor services,” said Singh.

He added: “After Chhath, the construction is going on at a very slow pace but we will start our indoor services in January. We would start it anyway even if we have to start it with less number of beds.”

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would probably launch the indoor services.

Singh attributed the sluggish construction work to the slow payment mechanism. “What I have learnt is that the firm is yet to get its bills worth around Rs 15 crore passed by the Centre. But this is a controversial issue. According to the officials, the ministry is not happy because of the delay in the construction work and that might be the reason why it not clearing the bill. The bottom line is that AIIMS-Patna is suffering because of this.”

Abhay Kumar, site engineer, BL Kashyap & Sons, said: “There has been some pending payment issue at the ministry level and the work has been stopped because of that since the past 45 days. However, most of our work has been done. The structure of emergency and trauma building is ready. Only finishing work is left, including installation of false ceiling and electrical work. An air-handling unit also has to be constructed on the top of the emergency and trauma building. All these would take at least 45 days.”

Kumar’s superior, however, claimed that work is going on at the site but with a less workforce.

“Many workers who went for Diwali and Chhath vacations are yet to come back from their villages. It has led to slow pace of construction,” said B.N. Pandey, general manager, BL Kashyap & Sons.

Pandey quickly added: “We are not solely responsible for the delay. The company, which is supposed to give us the plan of the hospital’s air-handling unit to be constructed on top of the emergency and trauma building, has also not given us the drawing.”