But even as over a year has passed by since the announcement was made, the plan seems to be far away from implementation.

While the process to merge the hospitals has come to a standstill, the 111 acres of hospital land is now torn between the construction work by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and an ongoing case in the court of law.

The VMC had recently acquired a part of the land for the construction of an overhead water tank for the Ajwa region.

The hospital, on the other hand, is in a dilapidated condition with most of the facilities like the operation theatre, surgical department and others remaining closed. At present, the hospital has around 40 patients from across Gujarat.

Earlier, it was decided to send specialists from the SSG Hospital to the Ansuya Hospital. But now, the patients are being sent to the SSG Hospital for the required operations and plastic surgeries.

“There were some plans for the merger with SSG Hospital, but we have not been informed of any further details,” said Dr Mona Pandya, Medical Superintendent, Ansuya Leprosy Hospital.

Earlier, it was also decided that a 50-bed capacity ward will be set up under the Department of Skin and VD at the SSG Hospital, and that patients from the Ansuya Leprosy Hospital will be shifted. But not much headway has been made so far.

SSG Hospital Superintendent Dr V P Hathila, meanwhile, told Newsline, “We will develop the hospital and send specialists to Ansuya Hospital for the treatment of patients there.”