Prayagraj: In a major boost to public healthcare infrastructure, UP govt has approved the expansion and upgradation of Swaroop Rani Nehru Hospital, the city’s largest govt tertiary-care facility attached to Motilal Nehru Medical College. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday.Established in 1961, the hospital caters daily to a heavy inflow of critical patients not only from Prayagraj but also from neighbouring districts and even bordering areas of Madhya Pradesh. With the steadily increasing patient load, authorities felt the need to add modern diagnostic and treatment facilities. However, the existing campus had no vacant space left for expansion.That constraint has now been resolved. Acting on a recommendation from the Prayagraj district administration, the state approved the transfer of 31,314 square metres of adjoining land located along Mahatma Gandhi Marg in Mouza Nibibagh (Sadar tehsil) to the Medical Education Department. The land — part of pooled housing plots — will be leased to the hospital for 90 years at a nominal annual rent of Rs 1.Officials said the newly allotted land, directly connected to the hospital campus and MG Marg, will enable planned expansion without disrupting existing services. The upgradation will focus on enhancing advanced treatment and diagnostic capacity in line with the hospital’s role as a referral centre for serious cases.The move is expected to benefit residents of Prayagraj as well as patients from Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Banda and Chitrakoot, who depend on the facility for specialised care.Principal of the medical college, Dr V K Pandey, said the additional land will finally allow the long-pending plan for a new trauma centre and a dedicated parking facility. He noted that rising patient numbers made both necessities urgent, particularly for emergency handling and smoother hospital access.Media in charge, SRNH, Dr Sontosh Singh said, “The expansion will significantly strengthen tertiary care capacity in the region, reduce congestion within the current premises, and improve patient management, emergency response and overall service delivery at one of eastern Uttar Pradesh’s most critical govt hospitals”.
