Chandrapur’s new 500-bed government medical college hospital is ready for use but remains unopened because the model code of conduct has prevented its inauguration, while about 20 faculty vacancies could affect the facility’s academic and healthcare operations.
The fully air-conditioned hospital is part of the new campus of Karmaveer Marotrao Kannamwar Government Medical College in Chandrapur. Its opening is expected to expand access to advanced treatment for patients from Chandrapur and neighbouring districts, many of whom currently travel to Nagpur for specialised healthcare.
“The hospital building is ready. Since the model code of conduct is in force, the inauguration cannot be held at present. The date will be finalised once the situation permits,” dean Dr Milind Kamble told the Times of India.
The medical college has operated from the district general hospital and tuberculosis hospital since it was established in 2015. The new campus is intended to allow the institution to move out of those existing premises and consolidate teaching, training and patient-care facilities at a dedicated location.
Construction of the campus began in 2019, with completion initially scheduled for 2023. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the project timeline. The building is now ready, and an earlier water-supply concern has been resolved through six borewells dug on the premises. The available water capacity is estimated to meet the campus’s requirements for around two-and-a-half years.
The college currently has an annual MBBS intake of 150 students and offers 20 postgraduate courses. Five MBBS batches have graduated from the institution. However, around 20 posts remain vacant across the professor, associate professor and assistant professor cadres.
These vacancies could affect more than the hospital’s clinical capacity. Faculty availability is also linked to undergraduate teaching, postgraduate training and the ability of a medical college hospital to deliver services across departments. With the infrastructure ready, staffing will be central to determining how much of the planned 500-bed capacity can be used after the campus opens.
The new hospital is being positioned as a regional healthcare asset for eastern Vidarbha, where patients requiring specialised treatment may otherwise need to travel to Nagpur. Its eventual operation will therefore depend on both the completion of the inauguration process and the filling of the remaining faculty positions.
The inauguration date has not yet been announced. According to the dean, the date will be finalised once the model code of conduct no longer prevents the formal opening.
