A severe space crunch at the Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital’s maternity department has left pregnant women and lactating mothers face immense hardship, even as the newly constructed ₹10.50 crore facility remains locked due to planning delays.The hospital’s existing maternity ward houses 200 beds — 180 allocated for pregnant women and nursing mothers, and 20 reserved for the paediatric emergency care unit.With the hospital recording an average of over 5,000 deliveries annually, the current infrastructure is stretched far past its breaking point. The crisis has been further aggravated by a shortage of gynaecologists in other government hospitals across the district, forcing a heavy influx of patients to the Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital.To alleviate the severe overcrowding, the foundation stone for a 200-bed integrated Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) additional building was laid in May 2023.However, despite the physical structure being completed over a year ago, the building could not be opened to the public. The local planning authority has withheld safety clearance because the structure was built without a designated emergency exit route, said sources in the hospital.Because of this clearance delay, the hospital has been forced to accommodate women admitted for uterine surgeries in the old emergency ward, compromising patient comfort and specialised care.“The overcrowding in the old building is becoming unbearable for patients. We urgently need the government to rectify these errors and open the new facility,” said a local activist.When questioned about the persistent delay, hospital administration officials clarified that the ₹10.50 crore maternity expansion and a separate ₹20 crore Intensive Care Unit (ICU) building were completed simultaneously.“Emergency staircases have now been successfully installed in the ICU building,” a hospital official stated. “A tender has already been floated for the CEmONC building, and construction of the emergency steps will begin very soon. Until then, we are managing the surge by temporarily utilising nearby vacant wards to accommodate pregnant women,” the official added. Published - June 12, 2026 08:01 pm IST