A proposed 100-bed civil hospital in Indore's Khajrana has turned into what critics are calling a "hospital on paper." Six years after it was announced, the facility has neither land nor a building—but it already has 87 sanctioned staff positions, with nearly 80 employees currently working at other government hospitals.
As per a report in the Times of India, the Madhya Pradesh government unveiled plans for the modern hospital six years ago and approved posts for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff even as authorities continued searching for a suitable plot of land. Construction, however, has never begun because the project is still waiting for government land.
Despite the delay, appointments and transfers continued as if the hospital were operational. Around 80 employees officially assigned to the Khajrana hospital are now serving at PC Sethi Hospital, Hukumchand Hospital and several Sanjivani Clinics across Indore.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said the project evolved from an urban Primary Health Centre to a 50-bed civil hospital before being expanded into a proposed 100-bed facility. He said construction could not start because suitable government land has not been identified.
According to Shukla, the sanctioned staff have been temporarily deployed to other government healthcare institutions so their services are not wasted while officials continue the search for land.
The unusual arrangement has triggered sharp political criticism. Former minister Sajjan Singh Verma questioned why the government continued recruiting and posting employees for a hospital that has no building.
"We will raise this issue prominently in the upcoming Assembly session and demand answers," Verma said, while calling for a high-level investigation into the project.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Madhav Hasani said finding a large government-owned plot within the city has been a major hurdle. Until construction begins, nursing and paramedical staff have been attached to Sanjivani Clinics and other hospitals to ensure they continue serving patients.
