Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 1: The reopening of Sir Colonel Chopra Nursing Home at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu now hinges on the approval of service rates by the Administrative Department, with the long-awaited facility otherwise fully prepared to resume operations after an eight-year closure.
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While the Nursing Home has already been operationalized on a trial basis, the formal inauguration and complete rollout of services remain pending until rates for surgeries, diagnostics, and room categories are officially sanctioned.
Established in 1989 and named after Col R N Chopra-the Father of Indian Pharmacology and the first scientist from Jammu-the Nursing Home once served as a major healthcare facility offering affordable, quality services. It remained functional for nearly three decades and contributed significantly to Government revenue through thousands of surgeries. However, infrastructure damage, including seepage and short-circuiting, forced its closure in August 2017, leaving patients dependent on costlier private healthcare options.
A detailed renovation plan worth Rs 17 crore was prepared in 2019, though actual work commenced in 2022. After nearly three years of sustained efforts, the 150-bedded facility has been fully upgraded with state-of-the-art systems. The six-floor structure now includes a redesigned ground floor with a registration area, diagnostic rooms, and four modular operation theatres-three major and one minor.
The first three floors have been developed for patient care, offering 40 private rooms equipped with centralized hot-and-cold air conditioning, oxygen and suction points, washrooms, mini kitchenettes, and attendant seating. The facility is secured with round-the-clock CCTV surveillance, while the upper floors house faculty rooms of GMC Jammu.
Despite all infrastructure and trial operations in place, the commencement of full services depends entirely on the final approval of rates. Dr Shaista Ganai, Nodal Officer for Col Chopra Nursing Home, confirmed that the proposal for rates of surgeries, diagnostic procedures, and room categories has already been forwarded to the Administrative Department.
“We are awaiting approval of the rates. Once the nod is received, we will start operationalizing the Nursing Home in a phased manner due to limited staff strength, as the current workforce is deputed from GMC Jammu and its associated hospitals,” she said. She further noted that the facility is expected to become fully functional within two to three months of its phased opening.
With all systems ready and trial operations underway, the formal start of full-fledged services at Sir Colonel Chopra Nursing Home now depends solely on the Administrative Department’s approval of the pending rate structure.
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