In a recent letter to Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, Kalmadi has suggested that a full-fledged sports injury centre be set up at the hospital. Reason: Safdarjung is the country’s only government hospital providing integrated surgical and rehabilitative services for sports injuries.

According to senior Health ministry officials, they have started work on the proposal following Kalmadi’s communiqué to Ramadoss.

The arthroscopy and sports injury clinic in Safdarjung Hospital was set up in 1997. It was upgraded into a unit three years ago. The unit at present treats sportspersons and personnel of paramilitary forces. It provides facilities of advanced procedures involving knee and shoulder-joint surgeries.

But the city needs a bigger, more specialised centre to tackle 8,000 or so athletes expected to come here from 71 Commonwealth nations, Kalmadi’s letter to Ramadoss emphasises.

“I suggest that the Central Institute of Orthopedics at Safdarjung Hospital may be upgraded to (a) world-class sports injury centre which can be used by sportsmen,” the letter says. “With the Commonwealth Games approaching, there is a need for a state-of-the-art centre for prompt treatment of sportspersons injured during the event.”

The Health ministry official said the hospital’s unit has got experts to take care of the centre, though availability of land might pose a problem. The official, however, said they are hopeful. “A pending case in the High court for claiming land in the ambit of Safdarjung Hospital is likely to come in our favour,” the official said.

The proposed centre, he said, would be established there. Experts said the sports medicine and referral centre would also help Indian players who have to go abroad for treatment of complex sports-related injuries at present.