The under-construction building that would house the paediatrics unit.Picture by Ashok Sinha

Babies with heart complications would have to wait for the paediatrics unit of Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC) to start operations.

IGIC, the state’s only government-run heart hospital, has not been able to start its paediatrics wing as the building supposed to house the unit is not complete.

The 10-storeyed building is being built under supervision of the building construction department since 2010. The foundation stone of the building was laid by then chief minister Nitish Kumar on May 15, 2010 and it was scheduled to be completed last year. Two floors are yet to be constructed apart from other work, including electrification.

To compound matters, experts believe that even if the construction is completed, it would not help much as there is a dearth of paediatrics surgeons in the hospital.

Sources said even if the construction is completed, it would be difficult for IGIC to start the unit. “Many posts of paediatric surgeons are lying vacant in the hospital,” he said. He added that IGIC has to refer critical surgery cases to AIIMS-New Delhi owing to lack of paediatrics surgeons.

“According to plan, the 50-bed paediatrics unit was supposed to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore. The unit would have state-of-the-art equipment like heart lung machine, valve retractor and others. The unit would also run an outpatient department. Open heart surgery, aortic valve surgery, ventricular septal defect surgery, surgery to repair coarctation of aorta and mitral valve surgery are some of the operations, which would be performed in the unit,” said a doctor of IGIC.

He said at present only some of these surgeries are being conducted at IGIC but after the paediatrics unit becomes functional, all these surgeries would be available at the hospital. “Even the private hospitals here don’t conduct all these surgeries. Surgeries on newborn babies are still rare in the city. Hence, starting the paediatrics unit at IGIC would be a boon for children suffering from serious diseases,” added the doctor.

Several attempts to contact the building construction department secretary Chanchal Kumar proved futile, while Shaligram Prasad, the under-secretary of the department, feigned ignorance in the matter. “I don’t know why the structure is not yet complete. I can provide you the details tomorrow (Friday),” he said.