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Chandigarh admn steps up pace on construction of GMCH trauma centre
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg on Monday said as per the recent review meeting, the project has gathered momentum and 45% work has been completed so far
The construction of new emergency and trauma centre at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chandigarh’s Sector 32 is likely to get over by December with the UT administration stepping up efforts to make the facility operational by January 2024.
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg on Monday said, “We had reviewed all pending healthcare projects of the city in September last year. At that time, only 10% physical progress was made and the construction was going on at a very slow pace. However, as per the recent review meeting, the project has gathered momentum and 45% work has been completed so far.”
He has asked the hospital authorities to ensure that the project is completed by December this year. “The trauma centre is expected to become operational in January 2024,” Garg added.
The facility assumes significance as the only operational trauma centre catering to the patients and victims of natural/man-made disasters, road accidents and other major immediate medical needs is at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
The new emergency-cum-trauma centre will come up at the hospital’s Block A, replacing the old emergency room, which will be demolished.
As per the plans, the emergency and trauma block will have a 24-bed state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU), a 64-bed ward for stable patients, two isolation wards with 33 beds and a 47-bed ambulatory care ward. There will also be clinical labs; X-ray, CT scan and MRI facilities; twin basement parking lots and appropriate provision for central air-conditioning, firefighting and fire sensing.
The new building will also have five operating theatres (OTs) and a minor OT.
The UT administration had in 2019 approved the construction of the emergency and trauma centre at an estimated cost of ₹52.77 lakh, which was to be completed by February 2022, but it failed to meet the deadline.
It is also awaiting approval to build a regional trauma centre on 10 acres in Sector 53, which was allotted about 15 years ago. Though the GMCH-32 director had submitted the detailed project report to the central government, no progress has been made in the matter for the last five years.
“The detailed project report has been sent to the Union health ministry for approval, but GMCH-32 director has been asked to provide scope of work for all facilities which may come up at the 10-acre land so that planning could be done,” Garg said.
