Kalyan: A 100-bed hospital in Gauripada, Kalyan West, has remained non-operational for three years despite its building being completed and handed over to the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in 2023. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Mahesh Tapase has demanded that the civic administration announce an inauguration date and start medical services by December 1, 2026.

In a letter submitted to the municipal commissioner on October 26, Tapase questioned the prolonged delay, stating that a public healthcare facility built with taxpayers’ money was lying unused. He called for urgent steps to make the hospital operational and provide residents with access to essential medical services.

“The building was handed over to the municipal corporation’s medical department in 2023, yet healthcare services have not started,” Tapase said, highlighting the continued deprivation of local residents.

People from Gauripada and neighbouring areas are forced to depend on distant government hospitals for treatment, while private healthcare costs remain beyond the reach of many economically weaker families. Senior citizens and pregnant women are among those facing difficulties, he said.

Tapase also expressed concern over oxygen cylinders and medical equipment purchased during the Covid-19 pandemic that are reportedly stored inside the hospital, with some materials allegedly left exposed. He demanded that the equipment be moved to a safe, covered location, the stock be inventoried, and safety inspections and an audit be conducted.

“The administration must complete staff recruitment, provide the necessary equipment and finish the pending formalities without further delay,” he said.

Tapase has sought a written report by November 10 detailing the action taken and a timeline for the remaining work. He urged the civic body to ensure that the hospital begins functioning by December 1, warning that the party would launch a democratic protest if concrete action was not taken.