Former footballer and leader of the Hamro Sikkim Party Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday assailed the Sikkim government for building a hospital at the playing field of the state’s veterinary department in Namchi, the district headquarters of South Sikkim, when the money could have been used to fight Covid-19.

Bhutia said the Namchi land was the only available playground at the moment and the government could have constructed the hospital elsewhere and focused on upgrading existing infrastructure and appointing trained manpower at all hospitals and PHCs in the state.

“I would request the Govt. to kindly stop the construction and start when (the) pandemic is over. The focus right now must be on manpower and upgradation of existing hospitals, including PHCs. And importantly, they must shift the project from the only playground available in Namchi,” the former Indian football captain said in a Facebook post.

Namchi is from where the legendary footballer started his successful soccer journey. A little above the veterinary ground, a modern football stadium named after him is being constructed by the government. The project was started by the previous Sikkim Democratic Front government and is continued by P. S. Tamang (Golay)-headed present Sikkim Krantikari Morcha regime.

Golay had on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the 300-bed hospital to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. “The upcoming hospital will be of huge assistance for the people of South and West Sikkim. They need not travel to Gangtok for medical treatment,” he had said.

Bhutia, however, argued that the hospital should have been constructed at Karfectar near Jorethang, also in South Sikkim, since the location was convenient for the people of both South and West Sikkim.