Health dept shifts to new building
NOIDA: After a fire broke out at the health department’s office in Sector 39, four days ago, officials have started gradually moving to a new building--the Noida Covid Hospital. Officials said that rooms are being allotted to various health departments on the top two floors of the 10-floor building and junior staff has also started moving in. However, concerns, including the lack of funds for the electricity bills and installation of air conditioners, still remain.
The health department of Noida has been operating out of a makeshift warehouse in Sector 39 till now, where storerooms have been converted into office spaces for officials. As is the norm for a warehouse, most of the structure is built of fibre and asbestos. The health department, along with the district hospital, was supposed to shift to the new building built by the Noida authority two years ago. “There are issues, but we are working on them. Meanwhile, the chief medical officer (CMO) will continue to operate from the old office. There was a minor fire near the birth and death registrations department a few days ago, but the rest of the office is fine,” said Sunil Sharma, CMO.
After much delay, the district hospital building in Sector 39 was finally readied by the Noida authority two years ago and handed over to the health department. However, as the pandemic began, the entire building was outfitted with over 250 beds and turned into the Noida Covid Hospital. While the number of Covid patients who require hospitalisation is at an all-time low now--only two patients are hospitalised in the district, at the Noida Covid Hospital-administrative issues are yet to be resolved. Sources said that running a fully air-conditioned hospital building would generate an annual electricity bill of around ₹1 crore. “The new hospital is being managed by the chief medical superintendent. They cannot pay for all the expenses. That’s not all. Covid is still not over and we need to keep some resources in reserve. That is why the entire department is not occupying the building yet,” explained the CMO.