Jamshedpur, Sept. 9: The state welfare ministry has decided to purchase the Ghatshila-based Indian Copper Complex (ICC) hospital in Moosabani. The 250-bed hospital, along with its existing infrastructure, would be bought at a whopping Rs 1.93 crore by the welfare department.

The department was likely to take over the hospital by October-end this year. Welfare minister Arjun Munda would be visiting the hospital by the end of this month for a financial assessment its building and other equipment. The Union government had already assessed the value of the building and equipment of the hospital. While the cost of the building is estimated to be about Rs 93 lakh, the cost of the equipment is worth Rs 1 crore.

The welfare ministry would be spending the amount from the tribal development fund allocated by the Centre. The ministry would also be allocating funds to the hospital each fiscal after ascertaining its exact needs. Welfare ministry sources told The Telegraph that since the hospital was located in a tribal dominated area it could cater to the health needs of the local residents in a big way. “We’ll be availing of the services of a reputed social organisation to oversee the functioning of the hospital,” the sources stated and said Bharat Sevashram Sangh could be chosen for the job.

The welfare minister’s decision of buying the hospital stemmed from the fact that it would benefit the residents, particularly the Adivasis, of the entire Ghatshila sub-division, where government healthcare facilities were “unimpressive”. Blocks like Dumuria and Moosabani of the Ghatshila sub-divisions are some of the most densely tribal populated districts of the state.

”There are innumerable tribals who depended on the ICC Hospital for their treatment. But since the ICC management is no longer in a position to run the hospital due to financial constrains, we would be buying it and managing it so that the tribals of the region do not suffer,” Munda added.

Although the charges and other rules that would be followed in the hospital are yet to be finalised, sources indicated that the charges for the general and tribal patients would differ. “Tribal patients would be treated at a discounted rate unlike general patients,” sources stated and indicated that in exceptional cases, concessions would be allowed for general patients. The ICC management, during the last few fiscal, was finding it extremely difficult to operate the hospital. The management was hard-pressed to buy medicines and other essential materials to look after the patients of the hospital. As a last resort it took the decision of selling off the hospital.

“We’ve plans to increase the number of beds strength of the hospital in future. That would be done after accessing the response that the hospital gets after we take over,” sources stated and hinted that some of the future plans also include establishing a medical college in Ghatshila and imparting nurses training.