Mavelikara: Six months after its Phase 1 inauguration by Health Minister Veena George, the newly constructed multi-storey complex at the Mavelikara District Hospital remains non-operational. Funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) at an estimated cost of ₹132 crore, the facility has yet to open its doors to the public despite official assurances made during its launch.

The first phase of the project, covering three completed floors, was inaugurated on March 12. At the ceremony, officials announced that the outpatient (OP) department would transition to the new building within a week. However, that timeline was not met.

While internal wiring and elevator installations on the three floors are finished, the facility is still awaiting mandatory final clearance from the Electrical Inspectorate. Hospital administrators are reportedly hesitant to commission the building without this statutory safety certificate, as any technical or electrical malfunction could leave the management legally liable.

Project Scope and Infrastructure
The planned seven-storey building spans a total area of 2.2 lakh square feet, of which three floors are currently complete. Once fully operational, the building is slated to house a casualty wing, CT scan and radiology units, a pharmacy, modular OP clinics, 325 beds and a 90-bed emergency care unit.

There will also be seven operation theatres, a modern blood centre, advanced diagnostic laboratories, a neonatal care unit, and maternity wards compliant with the national Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative (LaQshya) standards.

Staffing Deficits
In addition to regulatory delays, the hospital faces critical personnel shortages. Congress Mavelikara Block President Ani Varghese noted that the government has not yet sanctioned the staff required to match the institution’s upgraded status as a district hospital. Notably, the post of a police surgeon, essential for operationalizing the hospital's postmortem unit, remains unapproved.