Ahmedabad Hospital redevelopment stuck amid Temple Relocation Controversy
Temple Stalls Ahmedabad Hospital Expansion
Ahmedabad: Days after a video showing Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s superintendent taking part in a temple ritual to seek divine approval for relocating a shrine went viral, the hospital’s Rs 588-crore redevelopment project remains stalled, caught in a standoff between infrastructure development and religious sentiments.
The video, which went viral, showed Dr. Rakesh Joshi performing a puja at the Khodiyar Mata temple inside the hospital campus, sparking widespread debate both on social media and in the public sphere.
In response, Dr. Joshi clarified that his visit was a diplomatic gesture aimed at engaging with temple representatives and working toward a mutually agreeable solution regarding the proposed relocation.
At the centre of the controversy is a small shrine dedicated to Khodiyar Mata, located within the sprawling 108-acre Medicity campus in Ahmedabad. The temple stands on land marked for demolition under a redevelopment plan launched on May 27 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The project aims to build a modern 1,800-bed hospital block with expanded ICU and OPD capacity.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital had come under public and social media scrutiny after participating in a temple ritual as part of efforts to determine whether to relocate a shrine located within the hospital premises.
According to news reports, he stated in the video that he explained the project to them and suggested that cooperation was necessary to ensure the hospital was built, so that several poor patients could receive the benefits of treatment.
According to Sandeep Thakurbhai Dave, the temple priest, the shrine has been part of the site since before Independence and has become an intersection of science and faith as well as a major landmark for those lost in the sprawling campus.
A steady flow of devotees — including relatives of patients admitted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and residents from nearby areas — continues to visit the temple, which was recently repainted on the outside. Inside, the sanctum houses multiple idols of Khodiyar Mata, surrounded by blue tiles that have remained unchanged for years. According to priest Sandeep Thakurbhai Dave, this is “as per the wishes of the mother.
The civil hospital in the Asarwa area of Ahmedabad has been a critical hub in past crises — most recently during the aftermath of the tragic crash of AI 171, a London-bound flight that exploded shortly after takeoff.
The hospital carried out DNA identification for the victims among the 241 people on board and 19 on the ground who lost their lives.
Hospital authorities, meanwhile, say that the delay could cost them 300 potential beds. The proposed hospital expansion involves demolishing several old buildings.
The old post-mortem building, which connects through a skyway to the main hospital building, and the area between the old trauma centre and the Superintendent’s office (the administration block), is to be demolished to free up around 1.60 lakh square meters of space for the new 1,800-bed hospital. The plan includes an OPD section and a 150-bed ICU aimed at reducing waiting times for beds. Additionally, there will be a 50-bed isolation ward, several modular operation theatres, and a two-storied parking block with capacity for 650 cars and 1,000 two-wheelers.
The Civil Hospital campus spreads over 108 acres and includes several super-speciality facilities.
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Construction of the new hospital building will increase Ahmedabad Civil Hospital’s total bed capacity to 4,200 and double its ICU capacity from the current 150 to 300 beds. Most importantly, the OPD blocks will be shifted to the proposed 10-storey building.
Demolition and evacuation of the older hospital buildings, including the post-mortem facility, trauma centre, and administrative block, have already begun. Key departments like laboratories and central stores have been relocated as temporary arrangements are being made to clear space for construction.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Temple priest Dave said, “Hospital officials told us that if they don’t move the temple, then they will lose space for 300 beds, but this temple was here even before the hospital was built.”
He also claimed that a previous construction project decades earlier had not been allowed by the deity because the temple had been removed in the 1950s. He added that the hospital was built only after the temple was restored.
Furthermore, regarding the current predicament, the priest said that the hospital administration had approached them about the construction of the new hospital a couple of months ago, and several conversations had taken place. However, when they asked Mataji if she permitted the relocation of the temple, she refused, not once but multiple times. Dave claimed that the hospital superintendent’s visit on Sunday was part of his effort to seek clearance from the Goddess for the project.
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Dave also mentioned they had not received any communication from the hospital administration after Sunday’s ritual.
