Jajpur: The district administration has earmarked about eight acres for the new district headquarters hospital building at.

The site, at Ankula village, lies at the gateway of the town tehsil limits, an official said. The existing hospital in the heart of the city will be shifted to the new building upon its completion.

"A compact patch of about eight acres has been identified for the new building and the tender process has already started. Construction of the proposed building will start once that is finalised," said Jajpur district collector Ranjan Kumar Das.

The earmarked land that is owned by the district administration has already been transferred to the district health department. The official said adequate funds for the project had also been earmarked.

"We have earmarked Rs 100 crore for the project and the entire amount would be provided from district mineral fund," he said.

Das said the work would be completed by 2019.

The 200-bed existing hospital in the heart of Jajpur municipal town suffers from infrastructure shortcomings because of shortage of land.

Besides, its location also creates traffic congestion in the heart of Jajpur.

The health and family welfare department had earlier asked the health services director to visit the town and submit a proposal for the new district headquarters hospital in order to expand health care facilities in Jajpur.

Accordingly, the health department director examined the availability of land and recommended that the new facility should come up on the outskirts of Jajpur.