Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in Gaya. Telegraph picture

Gaya, March 8: The ordeal of accident victims in the state is far from over despite of the Centre pumping in funds for setting up trauma centres. The money has remained unutilised for the past two years.

Nine trauma centres were slated to be constructed in the state for which the Centre had already allotted funds. None of the centres have come up as yet.

The situation in Gaya is no different from the rest of the state. Accident victims are now treated in Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) emergency ward, which has just 16 beds. Serious cases are referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital because of inadequate treatment facilities here.

Officials at ANMMCH are now finding it hard to reply to the Union health ministry, which has sought an utilisation certificate from them. The central government had provided Rs 80 lakh to ANMMCH under the Golden Quadrilateral project. The letter has sought the certificate before it releases the second instalment of the fund. The total budget for the trauma centre is Rs 9.65 crore.

The administrative officer, State Health Society, Bihar, Ashok Kumar Singh, said: “The Centre did not provide the detailed project report (DPR). The responsibility for the DPR was then given to Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (a Government of India undertaking).

Dr Sitaram Prasad, the superintendent of ANMMCH, said: “I have written a letter to the state health department requesting it to start construction work.”

The urgency of the superintendent is understandable as the Centre might ask ANMMCH to return the funds because of non-utilisation, said a source.

ANMMCH sources said the first instalment was meant for construction of the building. However, the authorities concerned could not decide whether the government or any private agency would take up the construction work.

The trauma centre would provide specialised treatment to accident victims. The centre had been planned to be set up along the Grand Trunk Road, but later it was decided that it would come up on ANMMCH premises.

The Union health ministry would bear all the expenses, including salary of the specialists, doctors and other employees, apart from other expenses to maintain the proposed trauma centre, while the ANMMCH would hold its administrative control.

Prasad told The Telegraph that the centre would have 50 beds and latest equipment to provide the best possible treatment. Around 150km stretch of the Grand Trunk Road crosses through Aurangabad and Gaya districts of Magadh division.

“Once the trauma centre starts functioning, even serious cases could be treated here. It would ease the pressure on the emergency ward of ANMMCH,” Dr Prasad said.