Orthopedic treatment facilities in Kashmir are set for a major upgrade as a new 120-bed block at the Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla, Srinagar, is slated for completion by the end of this year. Despite previous delays, construction is now progressing rapidly, with a new deadline set for December 2024. The hospital, which suffered severe damage from a fire in March 2022, has missed several deadlines. However, the current construction phase is moving swiftly. A top health official told the news agency – Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the largest orthopaedic hospital in the valley is all set for a substantial infrastructural boost with the new state-of-the-art 120-bed block. The block is being constructed under the Strengthening of the Critical Infrastructure component of the World Bank-funded JTFRP (Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project). The project began in 2019 after being approved in 2015,” the official said. “The hospital suffered major damage in the 2014 floods, with one building declared unsafe. Further infrastructure damage occurred due to a fire incident in 2022. The new building, featuring a G+5 structure with modern earthquake-resilient technology, will include modular operation theatres, a laminar flow system, TSSU (Theatre Sterile Supply Unit), ICU, Pre & Post Operation care wards, CSSD (Central Sterile Supply Department), specialised laundry, pneumatic tube system, and a waste collection system. The hospital will also feature an IGBC (India Green Building Council) rating and a biomedical waste management system designed to handle 140 kg of waste per day, disposed of scientifically. Provisions for STP/ETP (Sewerage Treatment Plant & Effluent Treatment Plant) construction are also included in the sub-project,” he added. The hospital will incorporate a pneumatic transit system for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir. “Widely used in hospitals globally, pneumatic tube systems efficiently transport medical items such as blood samples and supplies between floors or departments, minimizing costs and risks associated with manual handling,” the official explained. He said the sub-project, assigned to NPCC (National Projects Construction Corporation) at Rs 88.94 crores, includes modern concepts in healthcare infrastructure such as environmental designs, patient well-being, macro/micro-level zoning, scope for future development, and optimal area utilization. The hospital’s design was finalised after extensive consultations with national health infrastructure experts, the health department, and hospital administration. Inputs from these consultations were incorporated into the final design. The official said the main superstructure is nearly complete, with finishing works, including the installation of HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning), firefighting, and other equipment, in progress. The hospital is expected to be ready by the end of this financial year, he said. Doctors at the hospital told KNO that since the 2022 fire, they have struggled to manage the large influx of patients. “The completion of the new building with modern facilities will be a relief for both patients and doctors,” they said. The hospital’s OPD receives around 1,000 patients daily from various parts of Jammu & Kashmir and even Ladakh. On Saturday, ERA’s CEO reviewed the construction of a 160-bed additional block at the Bone and Joint Hospital, Barzulla, being built at a cost of Rs 103.27 crores. The CEO was informed that the sub-project is in an advanced stage, with work on lift installation, the construction of a connecting corridor between the old and new buildings, and other ancillary works in full swing. The CEO directed the R&B (PWD and the PIU (project implementation unit) for the sub-project, to expedite the work further and ensure its completion within the stipulated timeline. The 160-bed additional block at the Bone and Joint Hospital, Barzulla, is a much-needed addition to the valley’s health infrastructure, promising to provide high-quality orthopaedic healthcare facilities to the people.
