Syangja, August 23
Locals have grown frustrated as construction of a hospital in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7 in western Syangja, which is geographically far from the district headquarters, is progressing at a slow pace.
The Kaligandaki Hospital, being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 220 million through a partnership between the federal government and the rural municipality, has not been completed within the scheduled timeframe, meaning local residents will have to wait longer for accessible healthcare services.
In 2022, R & C S–Bacon JV was awarded the contract to construct the hospital building, with a target of completing the project within two years. However, the construction has not been completed even though the contractual period has already expired.
According to Rahul Baidya, an engineer with the construction company, the project has recently been affected by a shortage of skilled workers at the local level due to overseas employment. He said problems in managing workers have prevented construction from progressing at the expected pace.
Once the new hospital is completed, it is expected to provide healthcare services not only to residents of Syangja but also to people from neighbouring Gulmi and Parbat districts. At present, the hospital is operating from a small and cramped building.
Locals said they are increasingly concerned about the delay in constructing the hospital despite the investment of millions of rupees. They said the delay in completing a project launched with the expectation of providing reliable healthcare services in the village means residents will continue to be forced to travel elsewhere for treatment.
The project has also faced challenges because land and structures belonging to around 12 households have been affected during construction. Land-related issues and other obstacles are reportedly preventing the work from progressing as expected.
Umaprasad Bhattarai, ward chairperson of Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7, said construction of the hospital was initiated with the objective of providing healthcare services to residents locally, but the work has been delayed for various reasons.
He said there is a need to resolve land disputes and other problems that have emerged during construction and accelerate the work. According to him, providing quality healthcare services locally would reduce the need for residents to travel to Palpa, Pokhara and other cities for treatment.
Failure to complete the hospital on time is likely to affect both the millions of rupees invested in the project and the expectations of residents. Once the new building is completed, the hospital currently operating from an old and cramped structure can be shifted to the new facility, allowing it to provide more accessible and quality healthcare services.
Locals have called on the concerned authorities to take effective measures to immediately resolve land disputes and other construction-related problems and ensure that the hospital is completed on time.
