Bhubaneswar, Aug. 3: Medical services in the city is set to get a boost with the construction of an exclusive maternal and childcare facility at Unit-IV Urban Community Health Centre by March next year.

The administration will build a separate building on the hospital premises to house one labour room and one operation theatre.

Accordingly, the authorities will also strengthen the number of employees at the medical facility, popularly known as the Unit-IV government hospital. It was decided to recruit one gynaecologist, one paediatric, one ayurvedic doctor, four auxiliary nurses and midwives, pharmacist, lab technician and a radiographer. At present, the hospital functions with one gynaecologist, two general physicians and four nurses.

A hospital official said the construction of labour room had already been over and the work on the operation theatre would begin shortly. "A separate paediatric facility will also be introduced," he said.

The move of having such a facility in the hospital came in view to lessen the burden on Capital Hospital, which receives over 100 such patients in its obstetric and gynaecology ward every day. It, however, has a capacity to accommodate 50 patients in the ward.

A Capital Hospital patient, Janardan Mohanty, told The Telegraph that it was a timely move to introduce such a facility in another health care institution in the city. "The Capital Hospital receives patients from Khurda, Nayagarh as well as the capital city. Managing smooth services with such a high inflow of patients is extremely difficult. There has always been a need of another such facility in the city," said Mohanty.

The state health and family welfare department, in collaboration with the National Health Mission, will introduce the new facility at the Unit-IV Government Hospital. The mission has sanctioned Rs 2 crore for construction of the building and recently released Rs 15 lakh for procurement of other medical equipment.

Notably, the department had in 2013 provided the administrative power of the Unit-IV hospital to the mission, which was to be upgraded to an Urban Community Health Centre. Ironically, the project got delayed due to several administrative glitches in the past, including approval and tendering process. The Telegraph had reported about the situation of the hospital on July 4.

The recent plan, however, has brought some relief to the people. "There exist a number of good hospitals in the city. But, the majority of patients depend on the government-run hospitals. The administration should now focus on completing the project at the Unit-IV Hospital soon," said Niladri Vihar resident Narayan Ojha, whose wife is an expecting mother.

There is also good news for those who depend on the Capital Hospital. The hospital's obstetric and gynaecology ward will shortly be shifted to a newly constructed facility on its premises. Once it is done, the facility will have the strength to accommodate 100 inpatients.

The administration is in the process to have the final installations in the building after which the ward will be shifted there within a month or two, sources said.