Jaipur, April 1 (IANS) Veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, in the latest episode of his digital series “Intezaar Shastra”, has questioned the delay in inaugurating the Institute of Cardiology at SMS Hospital in Jaipur, and accused the state government of neglecting public healthcare.

“Are Rajasthan’s government hospitals being systematically weakened to benefit private hospitals?” Gehlot asked, addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party government through a post on X.

Referring to the project, he said the Institute of Cardiology, built at a cost of Rs 50 crore, is complete but yet to be inaugurated.

“Does the BJP government not have the time to open a ready institute? Is a political vendetta coming at the cost of public lives? The government must stop playing with people’s health,” he said.

A video shared along with the post showed images of the facility and claimed that the delay is depriving the public of much-needed services. It noted that heart-related ailments have increased after COVID-19, and the institute was designed to offer comprehensive treatment under one roof.

According to the video, the facility includes 250 beds, five modular operating theatres, and advanced services such as robotic angioplasty. The project began in April 2022 and was scheduled for completion by January 2025.

However, Gehlot alleged that finishing work is still pending, with construction material lying outside the premises. The timeline for the institute to become operational remains unclear.

The video also referred to plans for Institutes of Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, and said an Institute of Dermatology is now being initiated. It added that thousands of patients could have benefited had these facilities been functional.

Stepping up his criticism, Gehlot earlier raised concerns over the suspension of the construction of a guest house at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur. He further flagged various core issues connected to the universities for the differently-abled, including the Baba Amte Divyang University in Jaipur and the Mahatma Gandhi Divyang University in Jodhpur, both announced in recent state budgets.

–IANS

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