Prayagraj: The long-awaited expansion and upgradation of Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital is set to gather pace this month, with the demolition of 21 govt bungalows and residential quarters located along Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Marg expected to begin this month.The Prayagraj administration has completed a survey of the properties that will be acquired for the project and has submitted a detailed report to district magistrate (DM) Manish Kumar Verma. The list includes the official residence of chief development officer (CDO) and accommodation allotted to several other officers and employees.The expansion project is aimed at developing SRN Hospital on the lines of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow so that patients suffering from serious and complicated illnesses can receive advanced treatment in Prayagraj itself.Officials said the number of beds at the hospital would be increased from 1,294 to 3,000. Separate blocks for medicine, surgery, maternity care and cancer treatment will also be built. In another major change, the existing trauma centre will be shifted to MG Marg area.The hospital is a major healthcare centre for patients from Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Chitrakoot and Banda districts. In addition, a large number of patients from Rewa, Sidhi, Satna, Panna and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh also depend on the facility for treatment.To facilitate the expansion, the district administration has made more than 50,000 square metres of additional land available. A high-level committee has been constituted on the instructions of chief secretary SP Goyal, while principal secretary for medical education Amit Ghosh has been entrusted with supervising the process.The committee, headed by director general of medical education Netra Sharma, includes SRN principal Dr AK Verma, principals of govt medical colleges in Kanpur and Agra, senior faculty members nominated by SGPGI and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, along with engineering and administrative experts.During a recent meeting, senior officials directed medical education experts to prepare a detailed assessment of the hospital’s existing infrastructure and future requirements. Engineering teams have also been asked to prepare proposals for integrating the medical college and hospital facilities.DM Manish Kumar Verma said a detailed project report (DPR) would be prepared soon and the project would be implemented in two phases under an integrated development plan.“The expansion and modernisation of SRN Hospital will significantly improve healthcare services in eastern Uttar Pradesh and adjoining districts of Madhya Pradesh,” Verma said.
