Patna, Nov. 30: The state government’s plan to convert New Gardiner Road Hospital in the capital into a super-specialty hospital for endocrinology has hit a roadblock as no specialists have come forward to apply for the posts of endocrinologists.

The government is now planning to publish advertisements for the posts across the country.

Health department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha said the applications were invited about two months ago through advertisements but nobody applied. “The state lacks specialists in the field. So we are thinking of inviting applications on a national level. If that too does not work, we will recruit those with the degree of doctor of medicine. We will get them trained in the subject outside the state,” Sinha said.

The state is also hoping to get the super-specialty hospitals at Rajvanshi Nagar and Rajendra Nagar functional by January next year. In August 2011, the state cabinet given a nod to develop the Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital at Rajvanshi Nagar in the city as a super-specialty hospital and sanctioned 140 permanent posts and Rs 3.45 crore for payment of salary to its employees. The super-specialty hospital is slated to have a 60-bed orthopaedic ward, a six-bed ICU, a 60-bed neuro ward, a six-bed casualty ward and a two-bed emergency minor surgical ward.

Sources said the decision was taken as it was felt that there should be a one-house solution for people suffering from bone, brain and spinal injuries. “The Rajvanshi Nagar Hospital was picked up for renovation into a fully equipped medical centre. It was expected that it would take a lot of burden off Patna Medical College and Hospital. The upgrade work has been happening for the past three years and is now in its finishing stage. Infrastructure, equipment and employees are being taken care of,” he added.

The cabinet had also approved a proposal to develop the Rajendra Nagar Hospital as a super-specialty ophthalmology hospital for which 77 permanent posts were sanctioned and Rs 99.4 lakh was approved for salary to employees.

“The construction of an additional floor at Rajvanshi Nagar Hospital is complete. We have almost finalised the process of appointing doctors for the bone super-specialty unit with the suggestion of veteran doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. The full-fledged services at the centre would start soon,” Sinha added.

The state government had requested the Centre to grant permission and funds to develop Shri Krishna Medical College at Muzaffarpur on the patterns of AIIMS in the 12th Five-Year Plan.