‘Trauma centre in Sector 51 to be run on public-private partnership’

Chandigarh, November 2 The Chandigarh Administration has decided to run the trauma centre proposed to be set up in Sector 51, on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and the expressions of interest from the parties experienced in running such hospitals is to be invited soon. The construction work at the centre would also be outsourced to a private architectural firm, which has the experience of building such hospitals.

A decision to this effect was taken today in a meeting of the architectural, engineering and health officials of the administration.

The administration has proposed a trauma centre in the southern sectors, especially for the acute accident cases requiring expert help. So far, the city does not have any specific trauma centre specially equipped to deal with providing emergency care to trauma victims, including the accident cases with incidence of head and brain injuries or sudden cardiac problems. Such cases are, at present, being managed only in the emergency wards of the hospitals here.

The proposed centre will be spread over 14.5 acres of area, with 9.5 acres of hospital building and five acres of residential complex. In all, the estimated cost of construction and completion of the centre is pegged at Rs 240 crore, which is likely to be increased.

“We have also written to the Centre to include the trauma centre under the National Disaster Management Scheme, which would mean increased funding for the project,” said an official.

The centre is proposed to be a 300-bed hospital, with 75 separate beds for cardiac patients and 12 for the patients requiring dialysis. In all, there will be 12 operation theatres, six OTs for operating on the casualty patients, one dialysis ward, 30 ICU beds, an imaging centre and 12 elevators (with six elevators to accommodate patient’s bed).

The centre, sanctioned under the eleventh Five-Year Plan, will be spread over 48,000 sq metres of area.