Call for early completion of VIMS

VISAKHAPATNAM: A nominal allocation of Rs 10 crore in state’s budget for 2012-13 for the under-construction super-speciality hospital Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) has raised the hackles of people of the city.Leaders of opposition parties have attacked the government for ignoring the need of the people of the region for quality healthcare.Lack of sufficient funds has hit the progress of works of VIMS, which is to be developed into a super speciality hospital modelled on the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad, with 21 super speciality wings to cater to the needs of the people of coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, East and West Godavari.The foundation stone for the project, coming up in 110 acres of land near Hanumanthavaka in the city at an estimated outlay of Rs 250 crore, was laid by the then chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in 2007. The 1,300-bed VIMS with specialisation wings - Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, Trauma Care and Gastroenterology, among others, was supposed to be completed in 2009.However, due to shortage of funds, the works have progressed at a snail’s pace and the project costs have been escalating.So far buildings for six speciality blocks has been completed at a cost of Rs 55 crore and works stopped due to shortage of funds. The Rs 90 crore promised by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and health minister DL Ravindra Reddy has not materialised and adding to the woes the budget for 2012-13 has allocated only Rs 10 crore.The government proposed to complete a 450 bed hospital in the first phase, but due to funds crunch the project is hanging fire, officer on special duty in-charge of VIMS and director of medical education (academic) K Vishnu Prasad told Express. The project required Rs 90 crore for the first phase launch for buying the medical equipment and getting support staff, but the government only allocated Rs 10 crore in the budget, Vishnu Prasad said.Once complete, VIMS would emerge one of the best medical deemed universities in the country, he added. City president of the Bharatiya Janata Party M Nagendra suspects a vested interest in not allowing the completion of the government super speciality hospital, he said that the Congress party was interested in promoting it in private-public partnership mode.He urged minister for medical education Kondru Murali Mohan, of Srikakulam, to take interest in the completion of the project. Noting that the project does not have a compound wall, the political leaders allege that there has been theft of equipment and material from the site.Further, there is scope for land grabbers to encroach on the property. Calling for early completion of VIMS, president of Andhra Pradesh Government Doctors’ Association B Udaya Kumar said that this would address the needs for a proper cancer treatment for the poor people in the region as the King George Hospital has failed to address the people’s medicare needs