Approx 10k patients likely to visit Hospital every day
*Metro connectivity needed for seamless travel
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Sept 12: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu, a premiere institute and a centre of excellence which is being established in Vijaypur in Samba district, is likely to be fully operational by December 2022.
The foundation stone of the AIIMS Jammu was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on February 3, 2019. The project was sanctioned under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) with an estimated cost of Rs 2000 crore, with the objective to provide super-speciality diagnosis services and world class treatment to the patients belonging to not only Jammu region but also parts of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Punjab States.
Official sources told Excelsior that the AIIMS Jammu with a 750 bedded hospital has provision for MRI, CT Scan, Nuclear Medicine, Modular OTs, ICUs, Super -Speciality departments, etc. They said the Project is at an advanced stage and is likely to be fully operational by December 2022. Pertinent to mention here that the first batch of 50 MBBS students of AIIMs Jammu has already been started and their class work began in the first week of January this year at AIIMS Rishikesh.
Sources said that once the Institute becomes operational, it is estimated that about 8000 to 10000 patients and their attendants would travel to AIIMS every day for consultation, diagnosis and treatment. Besides, they said, patients would be referred here from all parts of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
“Patients in pain, those with different disabilities, pregnant women, mothers with babies and small children would have to travel about 25 kilometres from the Central Bus Stand, Railway Station or Jammu Airport,” sources said, adding, Jammu, as a Smart City, must embrace this opportunity to extend the Metro Rail connectivity up to AIIMS located at Vijaypur for the welfare of the people, and as an integrated, environment-friendly, sustainable and smart solution.
Sources said the patients undergoing treatment for cancer need to travel frequently for chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the Hospital. The patients also need multiple follow-up visits to assure that the cancer treatment is progressing well, they said, adding, Metro connectivity to the Hospital would be a boon to the patients as they will be able to travel comfortably rather than having to negotiate long journey by buses.
“Besides patients and their attendants, the students and staff for the Medical College and Nursing College, which are part of the AIIMS, would also travel daily to Vijaypur. The services of the Metro would also benefit the large number of hospital staff, nurses and doctors from Jammu City and other parts who would have to travel from their homes for the different shifts,” they stated.
Sources said that Metro connectivity has already been planned up to Bari Brahmana which is only about 10 miles from the upcoming AIIMS. The ongoing Metro Rail Project includes connection to the Airport, Railway Station and Bus Stand. Patients travelling from different parts of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and also neighbouring States, would find it very convenient to travel to the Hospital the Metro service is extended up to Vijaypur.
When contacted Dr Shakti Gupta, Executive Director and CEO AIIMS Jammu, said that a proposal for the same has already been submitted to the Government and discussions held with respective departments. “We are hoping that a positive decision will be taken by the LG administration soon as seamless connectivity and comfortable travel by Metro would be a blessing for the visiting patients,” Dr Gupta said, adding, the Metro connectivity would also serve the needs of urban social developments around the upcoming AIIMS campus.
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