Gurgaon: The long-delayed Civil Lines hospital project in Gurgaon has reached a crucial stage, with the design for a 400-bed facility now in its final phase and provision made for adding 200 more beds later.Initially floated as a 750-bed hospital, the project underwent two major design changes over five years, shifting from expansion of the old structure to complete demolition, then moving between 400-bed and 750-bed plans before settling on a phased 400+200-bed model. Officials said the state approved the 400-bed plan and instructed central public works department (CPWD) to build space for the additional 200 beds.“After examining the proposal, we did not find any objections or issues with the layout. The file was resubmitted to proceed with the 400-bed hospital plan, which also includes provision for adding another 200 beds in the next phase,” Gurgaon civil surgeon Dr Lokveer Singh told TOI.This development came after Haryana director general of health services (DGHS) asked CPWD to expedite this final round of drawings. The order, issued by the deputy director (construction) on behalf of the DGHS, marked the first formal construction-related step for the proposed hospital.The govt hospital in Civil Lines, built in 1967, was in poor shape for years. Between 2015 and 2016, it saw six roof collapse incidents, including in the maternity ward and ICU, after which critical services shifted to the Sector 10 civil hospital. PWD declared the building unsafe twice, in 2015 and in 2017, after safety audits.The state govt first announced plans to expand the Civil Lines hospital in 2017, but the project went through multiple redesigns. Officials initially discussed expanding the existing structure, then shifted to demolishing it and constructing an entirely new building. Demolition was approved in 2019 but took nearly three years because of the pandemic. By late 2022, the building, along with an adjacent school structure, was completely razed to create more space.Over the years, the proposed size of the hospital kept changing as well. The plan moved from a 500-bed facility to a 750-bed hospital announced in the 2023–24 state budget. As a result, the architectural drawings were revised several times. CPWD prepared designs for a 750-bed, 10-storey hospital by mid-2024. The state later allocated nearly Rs 990 crore for the project and allowed the health department to float tenders.Despite these approvals, the project did not start on the ground because the plan was revised again, reducing the immediate construction to 400 beds, with space for 200 more in future.
