Srinagar Mar 30 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday said that the old building of Government Hospital Gandhi Nagar in Jammu has outlived its structural life, prompting a complete shift of medical services to an adjoining facility.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Vikram Randhawa, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) informed the Legislative Assembly that the Design Inspection & Quality Control (DIQC) wing of the Public Works Department carried out a structural and safety audit of the hospital building. “The audit concluded that the structure, which is over 65 years old, is no longer safe for use,” she said, adding, “Based on the findings of the safety audit, the building has already outlived its useful life.”
The Minister stated that all essential hospital services—including OPD, IPD, Operation Theatre (OT), and Labour Room—were shifted in September 2025 to the adjoining 200-bedded Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Hospital within the same premises.
However, the relocation has come with limitations. The Minister informed the House that only around 50 beds have currently been earmarked for Gandhi Nagar Hospital services at the MCH facility due to space constraints.
She explained that the 200-bedded MCH Hospital primarily caters to maternal (gynaecology and obstetrics) and neonatal/pediatric care and functions under the administrative control of Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. “The shifting of services from Gandhi Nagar Hospital is an interim arrangement to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services to the general public,” she said.
Due to the limited space, the remaining patient load is being managed in coordination with GMC Jammu and other associated healthcare institutions to maintain continuity in medical care.
The Minister elaborated that the MCH building was originally constructed to reduce the burden on SMGS Hospital Jammu by strengthening maternal and child healthcare services, and not to fully accommodate a general hospital.
On future plans, Sakina Itoo informed that steps have already been initiated to restore and enhance the hospital’s capacity. The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) Jammu has taken up the matter of demolishing the unsafe structure and constructing a new hospital building with the Public Works (R&B) Department.
“A committee has been constituted to suggest the required facilities and functional layout for the proposed building,” she said. The recommendations of this committee will form the basis for finalizing the Detailed Project Report (DPR).
The Minister added that funds for the project will be projected under an appropriate plan, subject to budgetary allocations. She also assured that future requirements, including enhancement of bed capacity beyond the previous 160 beds, will be taken into consideration during the planning phase.
The government reiterated its commitment to ensuring uninterrupted and improved healthcare services while moving towards the construction of a modern hospital facility at Gandhi Nagar—(KNO)