The new 10-storey building at JJ Hospital, which has been under construction since July 21, 2020, is likely to be handed over by the contractor only in December this year. The structure was to be completed by July 20, 2023. However, as only 29 per cent of the work was finished by this date, a 20-month extension was given.

With the extension elapsing on March 30 this year and the contractor recently applying for another one, patients will have to wait it out for another year to get access to multi-speciality healthcare, as setting up the medical infrastructure will take time. “We will need a minimum of six months [from the date the structure is handed over] to transfer wards and install medical equipment to make the building functional for patients,” said Dr Ajay Bhandarwar, dean of JJ Hospital.