A 100-bed civil hospital sanctioned by the Madhya Pradesh government six years ago has never had a single brick laid, yet its 87 approved staff positions have seen continuous postings and transfers throughout that period — a discrepancy that has triggered political controversy and questions over accountability in the state's health department.

THE SANCTION THAT NEVER BECAME A BUILDING
The Madhya Pradesh government approved the establishment of a 100-bed civil hospital in Khajrana on June 23, 2020, intended to serve one of Indore's fastest-growing and most densely populated areas. The facility was meant to serve over three lakh residents across Khajrana, Musakhedi, Tejaji Nagar, Bicholi Hapsi and surrounding localities, easing patient load at MY Hospital, MTH Hospital and the District Hospital.

Alongside the project approval, the government sanctioned 87 posts — specialist doctors, medical officers, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and support staff. But six years on, construction has not begun because authorities have yet to acquire land for the project, and the hospital continues to exist only on official departmental records.

STAFF POSTINGS CONTINUED
Despite the absence of any physical structure, staffing activity for the hospital did not stop. According to reporting by Hindi outlet TV9, transfer orders for personnel attached to the sanctioned posts were being issued as recently as June 16 this year — six years after the original sanction and with no building in sight.

GOVERNMENT'S EXPLANATION
Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said the project's scope had changed over the years, noting the proposal initially envisioned an Urban Primary Health Centre before being upgraded to what is now described as a 50-bed civil hospital. He said construction could not begin because suitable government land remained unavailable.

 Shukla added that the sanctioned posts continue to appear on the departmental portal, that the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) can attach paramedical staff to nearby Sanjeevani Clinics, and that the state is actively searching for land for the 50-bed facility. He said the employees originally sanctioned for Khajrana have, in the meantime, been adjusted against vacant posts at other healthcare facilities across Indore.

Separately, Indore's CMHO, Dr Madhav Hasani, told ANI that the hospital and its manpower had been sanctioned around three to four years ago, but the project could not take off due to pending possession of the allotted land.

POLITICAL FALLOUT
 The matter has become a flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh. Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar alleged irregularities, questioning how doctors and staff could be transferred to a hospital that has not been built, and called it "another bizarre scam in Madhya Pradesh."

Singhar directly challenged Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on social media, asking to which hospital transfers were actually being made if Khajrana's facility does not exist, and argued that residents had struggled for healthcare access for six years while the government claimed credit for a hospital that existed only in files. He demanded to know whether the episode amounted to negligence or corruption, called for action against those responsible, and demanded that Khajrana be given a real, functional hospital without further delay.

 WHAT RESIDENTS LOST
Local reporting indicates the delay has had a direct cost for the area's residents: the hospital could have significantly eased the healthcare burden on Indore's major public facilities had it opened on schedule, leaving three lakh-plus residents of Khajrana and neighbouring localities to continue relying on already-stretched hospitals across the city.

CURRENT STATUS
As things stand, land acquisition for even the scaled-down 50-bed version of the project remains incomplete, sanctioned staff remain administratively linked to a hospital that does not physically exist, and no timeline for construction has been announced.