Delhi to Get Largest Trauma Centre: A Lifesaving Boost from September

Delhi's Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital will soon have the country's largest trauma centre, operational by September. With 362 beds and six modular operation theatres, the project faced multiple delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other regulatory issues but is now nearing completion.

Victims of accidents, falls, and other injuries will soon have access to a new trauma centre at the Delhi government-run Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, set to be functional from September this year.

The hospital will feature ''the country's largest trauma centre'' with 362 beds, including 39 ICU beds, and six modular operation theatres, said an official from the Public Works Department (PWD).

''The building is complete. Now the work of putting up furniture is being carried out,'' the official reported.

''We plan to hand it over to the health department by the end of this month,'' he added.

Built at a cost of Rs 117.78 crore, the trauma centre has missed many deadlines, initially slated to be completed in May this year. However, officials are confident that the centre will be ready by July 31.

S K Kakraan, Medical Superintendent of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, mentioned that the construction work of the trauma centre was accelerated in recent months.

''We have asked the PWD to hand over the hospital by the end of this month. After that, it will take around a month to arrange for equipment and staff,'' Kakraan stated, hoping the centre would be operational by September.

The construction work for the trauma centre began in September 2019 after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal laid the foundation stone. It was expected to be ready in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, pushing the deadline to 2022.

According to officials, workers left during the pandemic, and even after lifting COVID-19 restrictions, delays persisted due to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) controlling pollution in Delhi. During a surprise inspection last year, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj highlighted the slow construction pace.

The minister emphasised that the new trauma centre would benefit people in and around the area significantly. Due to the scarcity of trauma centres in Delhi, people often need to transport patients to distant facilities after an accident, resulting in treatment delays and higher chances of fatalities, Bharadwaj noted.

(With inputs from agencies.)