The Union health and family welfare ministry has accorded an in-principle approval to construct a 300-bed trauma centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda. It will be the first major expansion of the central institute that was established in 2019.
Dr Ratan Gupta, who joined as the new executive director (ED) of AIIMS on Thursday, said that a blueprint for the trauma centre is being prepared and would be submitted to the Union government for approval.
The trauma centre will provide 24-hour definitive care support to victims by the specialties of orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, anaesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care.
Gupta said that the 30-bed emergency ward at the facility was struggling to cope with patients’ influx. Hence, a dire need for a dedicated trauma centre was felt.
As per the administration of this central institute, on average, the doctors are attending 50 trauma patients daily.
“The fully-equipped hospital and the experienced faculty of the institute are handling trauma cases of all kinds. But the new facility will be able to cater to the futuristic requirements. After the formal approval of the Union ministry, it will take two-and-a-half years to develop an exclusive new block,” the ED added.
Former Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been raising the issue of opening a trauma centre. She even raised the matter in the Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}Former Union minister and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been raising the issue of opening a trauma centre. She even raised the matter in the Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}Hospital authorities said that the upcoming complex will give a breather to the only public sector hospital in Punjab that is funded by the central authorities.
AIIMS medical superintendent (MS) Dr Rajiv Gupta said that the in-principle approval of a trauma centre has come as a breather for the hospital management, as the new facility could be used to meet the growing inflow of patients.
“Patients from far-off areas are rushing to Bathinda to avail quality and affordable treatment by the super specialists. The new project will add more beds for the patients’ needs treatment at the IPD,” he added.
New project for IPD in Oct
The AIIMS-Bathinda head also said that the institute is introducing a project under which the IPD patients will get all medicines in the wards.
“It was felt that the attendants had to rush to the pharmacies to buy medicines. The initiative will help in curbing the alleged malpractice of non-availability of various medicines at the AMRIT (Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment) pharmacy and Janaushadhi Kendra, a central government initiative that aims to provide affordable and quality medicines to the public,” he said.
The facility is expected to be rolled out by October 15, and in the first phase, beneficiaries under the Ayushman healthcare scheme will be covered under it.