Chungtia Students’ Union demands probe into substandard AYUSH hospital construction

CHUNGTIA — The Chungtia Students’ Union (CSU) has issued an ultimatum to the department of Health and Family Welfare (H&FW), demanding a joint technical inspection of the ongoing construction of a 50-bedded Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Sabangya, Mokokchung district.

The project is being executed by KC Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd., a firm already under scrutiny by Mokokchung-based civil society bodies for alleged poor workmanship in the upgradation of Mokokchung district hospital’s (IMDH) main building under National Health Mission.

The CSU has demanded similar inspection measures for the AYUSH hospital, claiming that the work shows deficiencies comparable to those found in the IMDH project.

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A joint visit by the Chungtia Village Council (CVC) and CSU to the hospital site revealed alarming lapses, including water leakage from ceiling slabs and plastering so weak it could be peeled off by hand.

Zaongtoshi, convenor of CSU, said that the work order was issued to KC Infra Projects on March 5, 2019, with a 24-month deadline and an additional six months for water supply and sanitation works. However, more than six years later, only 65% of the project is complete.

The CSU expressed frustration at both the delays and the quality of work. “Despite multiple visits, we have never found site engineers present. Today, only a handful of workers and a foreman were on-site,” Zaongtoshi said.

An RTI filed by the CSU revealed that INR 442.91 lakh had been sanctioned to the Medical Engineering Division, of which INR 247.13 lakh had already been paid to the contractor.

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The contractor reportedly assured that the project would be completed by January 2026.

Nevertheless, CSU pointed to visible cracks reported since February 2025, which persist despite repairs ordered after a July 2025 inspection by a department engineer.

The union said that rectification was inadequate, with plaster still detaching easily and multiple deficiencies visible to the naked eye. The site foreman admitted to using poor-quality plaster due to water shortages, a justification that failed to ease CSU’s concerns.

“The hospital is intended to serve not only Chungtia but also the wider Naga community. It must meet stringent standards to guarantee safety and durability,” the CSU stressed.

CVC chairman Assamwati echoed these concerns, recalling that a representation submitted to the H&FW department in December 2023 remains unanswered. “We fully support the CSU’s demand for a verified structural audit. We cannot compromise on quality in public health infrastructure,” he stated.

The CSU’s ultimatum, addressed to the principal director of H&FW, demands that construction be halted until a joint technical inspection is conducted within 10 days. The union insisted the inspection include advanced tests such as ultrasonic pulse velocity, rebound hammer, and core cut sampling.

It warned that if these steps are not taken, CSU’s assessment of the hospital’s unsound condition would be considered final, and further action would follow if the construction fails to meet required standards.