Chandigarh health dept gets nod to set up 50-bed critical care block

Chandigarh: Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has approved the UT health dept's first 50-bed Critical Care Block (CCB), paving the way for the project to finally take off. Estimated to cost around Rs 23 crore, the project will be funded by the Centre — covering both construction and equipment — under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).The project had been stuck for years due to a prolonged tussle between the municipal corporation and UT administration over land allocation. The UT initially sought 2.88 acres owned by the MC, adjoining the 100-bedded Manimajra hospital, but the MC refused, citing revenue and other concerns. A subsequent attempt to shift the CCB to a plot along the IT Park road also failed after the land was found unfit for the facility.Fresh evaluations, however, confirmed that the block needed to come up alongside the Manimajra hospital to ensure functional and financial viability. This prompted a series of meetings chaired by the chief secretary, after which the MC agreed to part with its land. In return, the UT committed to providing the civic body a plot of equivalent value elsewhere.According to officials, locating the CCB next to the sub-district hospital will significantly cut project costs and improve operational efficiency. "The identified site is ideal as it adjoins the hospital and opens onto Madhya Marg, which connects directly to the highway," sources said. "This is why the UT Administration pushed for this parcel of land."With consensus achieved, the proposal was forwarded to the UT administrator.Officials said Manimajra currently relies on a single 100-bedded sub-district hospital for secondary care, with the nearest secondary and tertiary facilities situated much farther away. This distance often delays emergency response and critical interventions, especially for accident victims during the golden hour. The new CCB is expected to bridge this crucial gap in the region's emergency and intensive care capacity.