Rajiv Gandhi hospital to get more beds.

Taking into account the growing health care needs of Puducherry, the government has proposed to increase the bed strength of Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children’s Hospital from the current 430 to 700.

Replying to a query by Congress legislator V. Vizeaveny, Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy told the Assembly that the hospital, which was opened in 2010, received hundreds of patients every day and 60% of them are from the neighbouring districts of Tamil Nadu.

When it was opened, the hospital had only facilities to provide in-patient treatment to 330 persons but gradually, the bed strength was increased to 430.

The government now proposes to increase it to 700, he said.

Raising the query, Ms. Vizeaveny said the hospital did not have enough facilities to accommodate patients and specifically cited the lack of enough air-conditioned rooms.

Replying to another query by AINRC member N.S.J Jayabal, the Chief Minister said the government had acquired 38.7 acres for the construction of the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital.

The government had acquired the land from 179 families and was in the process of providing them jobs in the hospital, the Chief Minister said. Though the AINRC government appointed around 2,000 people in the hospital after forming a society, it had failed to accommodate the members of families whose land had been acquired.

Mr. Jayabal said the previous government had initiated steps to accommodate members of the families in the hospital before it demitted office.

The present government only needed to follow it up, he added.

In response, Public Works Minister A. Namassivayam said the previous government began the process in the last few months of its tenure.

THE HINDU