The new and decked-up sadar hospital OPD at Khasmahal on Monday. Picture by Animesh Sengupta

East Singhbhum’s wait for a sadar hospital has finally ended. The state-run healthcare facility debuted in Khasmahal, around 3km from Jamshedpur, on Monday. MGM Medical College’s principal A.N. Mishra inaugurated it.

On the inaugural day, 48 patients, mostly from rural areas and city’s outskirts, visited the hospital that has started with OPD services in six departments — medicine, orthopaedics, surgery, eye, paediatric and gynaecology.

Civil surgeon Jagat Bhusan Prasad said initially, the OPDs would function from 9am to 1pm. Usually, the OPDs at government hospitals remain open from 9am to 1pm and from 4pm to 6pm.

However, a more permanent schedule will be fixed after a meeting with doctors.

“We will conduct a meeting of doctors on Tuesday and draw out a time table for OPDs. We will also open emergency and delivery wards in February. The hospital wards will start functioning after appointment of doctors,” said the civil surgeon.

Sadar hospitals exist in 22 out of 24 districts and offer healthcare services for free.

The foundation stone for the double-storey 100-bed facility, built at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore on nearly three acres at Khasmahal, was laid in 2007. The structure was handed over by engineering cell of the state health department to East Singhbhum civil surgeon in February 2012.

However, absence of paramedical staff, doctors and irregularities in construction were some of the reasons that led to the delay in inauguration.

A series of agitations were consequently held by political parties and NGOs, forcing the health department to get cracking and depute doctors and paramedics in December last year. Finally, after nearly a year, the hospital was opened.

At the moment, it has 12 doctors and around 40 nurses and paramedical staff on deputation and one ambulance. Emergency and serious cases will be referred to MGM Hospital at Sakchi.

Almost all important district health units, including office of district civil surgeon, office of additional chief medical officer, district malaria office, district food inspector office and district health program manager office, will function from the premises.