Sports injury centre takes shape

In a run-up to the Commonwealth Games 2010, Safdarjung Hospital is getting a world-class sports injury centre, reports Jaya Shroff Bhalla.

In a run-up to the Commonwealth Games 2010, Safdarjung Hospital is getting a world-class sports injury centre.

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The Union Ministry of Health has sanctioned Rs 70 crore for the project, which is to come up adjacent to the teaching wing of the hospital, Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College. While work is expected to start in April, hospital authorities are hoping the project will finish in 12 months.

“Although the motivation is the Commonwealth Games, the state of art sports injury centre will have long-term benefits. The facilities will benefit Indian sportsmen and the common man in the long run,” said Dr Deepak Choudhary, head, sports injury centre. “While there are similar centers, most of them are in private hands and treatment is very expensive,” he said.

The seven-floor structure will have modern diagnostic facilities like the MRI, CT Scan and digital X-ray facilities in the basement.

The centre would have a physiotherapy centre and an exclusive sports injury unit with state of the art equipment. It will also have a modern operation theatre complex with all latest equipment. “The three OT’s will be complete will all latest equipment to provide state of art surgical treatment at par with international standards. We are positive that our sportsmen will not have to go abroad for treatment once our centre comes up,” said Dr Choudhary.

The hospital, with 50 beds, will also have a cadaver laboratory for orthopaedic students, wishing to specialise in sport injuries.

The decision on having a state of art sports injury centre was taken after Suresh Kalmadi, the chairman of Commonwealth Games organising committee urged the Health Ministry for doing so, in view of more than 8000 athletes coming together in Capital for the games.

In a letter to Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, in December 2007, Kalmadi had asked for a full-fledged sports injury centre in Safdarjung hospital.