Shift hospital project from Namchi: Bhaichung Bhutia to Sikkim govt

Former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia has requested the Sikkim government to focus on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic instead of investing in a new project to build a hospital at the only available playground near his village Namchi. The founder of Hamro Sikkim Party, Bhutia, strongly objected to the state government's decision to build a hospital at the only ground of Namchi and suggested that the project be shifted to Karfectar near Jorethang for better accessibility.

"It is disappointing to learn of the Government of Sikkim's decision to construct a 300-bed hospital in Namchi at a cost of above Rs 500 crore," the Indian football icon said in a statement. "I would request the government to kindly stop the construction and start when the pandemic is over. And importantly, They must shift the project from the only playground available in Namchi", he said.

Recently Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Golay during a visit to South and West Sikkim districts has said he has already released Rs 80 crore for the project. "First of all, this hospital is being built on the only playground available in Namchi at the moment. It would have been better if it had been shifted to Karfectar near Jorethang, where the government has sold land for a cancer hospital. This location suits people from both South and West Sikkim," the 'Sikkimese Sniper' said.

Bhutia said the need of the hour should be to procure vaccines instead of investing in a new project. With Rs 80 crore already sanctioned the priority should have been procuring vaccines for people of Sikkim which is the need of the hour, Bhutia, who founded the party in 2019, said. During this pandemic, the government should have focused on upgrading all existing hospitals and PHCs with the right infrastructure, equipment and trained manpower to fight COVID on a war footing instead of building a new hospital, he said.

"The focus right now must be on manpower and upgradation of existing hospitals including PHCs. Remember we all fought for good parivartan and the people voted for parivartan but what is actually taking place in Sikkim has completely been disappointing so far. "Percentages and commissions can wait but peoples' lives and livelihoods are at stake here so let us hope the government gets its priorities right," he added. Bhutia had made his political foray with Trinamool Congress and contested elections for the party in 2014 and 2016 before setting up his own party.