Inaugurated with much fanfare in 2022, Mother and Child Regional Hospital lies crippled
Munish Sood
MANDI: The Rs 30-crore Mother and Child Regional Hospital in Mandi, inaugurated with much fanfare in 2022, lies crippled — not because of poor infrastructure, but because of the lack of paediatricians, leaving parents and newborns to suffer.
Built as a seven-storey, 100-bed facility with every modern amenity — from oxygen pipelines at each bed to ICUs, PICUs, sterilisation units, laboratories, solar power and even a devotional music system in wards — the hospital was once projected as a milestone in maternal and child healthcare. Yet, for over three months now, the paediatric OPD remains deserted and the IPD wards stand empty.
The shortage has pushed desperate parents to either rush to Nerchowk Medical College or Sundernagar for treatment or bear the burden of costly private hospitals.
Radha Devi from Padhar, who came with her two-year-old child, voiced her anguish: “We came here with hope, but were told no specialist is available. How can a hospital built for mothers and children not have a single paediatrician? For us villagers, private hospitals are unaffordable and travelling long distances with sick children is unbearable.”
For some, the crisis is even more personal. Meenal Thakur from Pandoh, whose five-year-old son suffers from a sleep disorder, expressed frustration: “My son needs regular monitoring, but here we only get a doctor on two days of week. What kind of service is this? It feels like the hospital was built only for show — not for patients.”
Locals feel betrayed after seeing such a massive project lying underutilised. Sahib Singh, a resident of Mandi, was blunt in his criticism: “This building has everything — oxygen lines, modern machines, even music playing in wards. But what’s the use? A hospital without doctors is like a temple without a deity. People are being forced to run from pillar to post.”
How the hospital lost its doctors
The hospital earlier had three paediatricians. But, according to Medical Superintendent Dr Dinesh Kumar, some left on promotions while others moved for higher studies, leaving all sanctioned posts vacant.
Currently, only a paediatrician from Gohar Civil Hospital visits twice a week — on Tuesdays and Fridays — to handle OPD patients. A medical officer has been temporarily assigned to children’s care, but in emergencies, patients must be referred elsewhere.
Mandi Zonal Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Dinesh Thakur admitted the crisis: “We have already informed higher authorities about the shortage. We hope permanent doctors will be appointed soon. Until then, temporary arrangements are being followed so that OPDs remain functional at least on some days.”
Grand infrastructure, hollow reality
The hospital was built at a cost of Rs 26.50 crore for the building, Rs 2 crore for furniture and Rs 1.50 crore on equipment. Facilities include ICUs, HDUs, oxygen-backed beds, solar power, water treatment plants, CCTV monitoring, fire safety systems, staff quarters and parking.
But all this investment means little when newborns and mothers have to be shifted to other towns for survival, says a local resident.
For families across Mandi district, the promise of a modern maternal and child hospital has turned into bitter disappointment. The very institution meant to provide specialised services under one roof is now a symbol of Himachal’s healthcare paradox — infrastructure without doctors.
As Radha Devi, still clutching her sick child, put it: “We don’t need music playing in empty wards. What we need are doctors who can save our children.”
