Healthcare facility’s dean says there has been no communication from firm concerned regarding handover of structure
The under-construction building next to JJ Hospital on December 31. PIC/SHADAB KHAN
The long-delayed building project at Sir JJ Hospital has missed yet another deadline, raising serious concerns over accountability and patient infrastructure in one of Mumbai’s largest public healthcare facilities. The contractor tasked with constructing the new hospital building was expected to complete and hand over the fully constructed structure by December 2025. However, as of now, neither has the handover taken place nor has the contractor formally applied for an extension.
Dr Ajay Bhadarwar, dean of the hospital, said, “We have not received any communication from the contractor regarding the completion or handover of the project. There has been no official handover of the building to date. We are still waiting for clarity on when the work will be completed.”
Officials from the public works department (PWD) also confirmed that no request for an extension of time had been submitted by the contractor. “As per our records, the contractor has neither completed the project within the stipulated time nor sought a formal extension. This is a clear violation of contractual timelines. Our seniors have conducted meetings with him, and a meeting is scheduled next week,” said Shashi Jamdar, junior engineer from the PWD.
While the contractor had asked for an extension till next March, the PWD department asked the company to finish work by November this year and hand over the building to the hospital by December at the latest. The repeated delays have sparked concern among the medical community. “If these delays hadn’t happened, some load would have been reduced from the already-stretched public healthcare system,” said health activist Dr Jamila Shaikh.
Delay timeline
July 21, 202: Original contract duration 36 months from when the project began
July 20, 2023: Original date of project completion
March 30, 2025: A 20-month extension was given as only 29 per cent of the work had been completed. This ended on
December 2025: The contractor asked for another extension till March 2026. But PWD directed it to complete the work and hand over the new building to the hospital administration
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
