South Delhi

The Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNATC), the total cost of constructing which was Rs. 132 crores, is spread over an area of 20,600 sq metres and seven storeys that consist of four operation theatres, 200 beds, including 16 ICU beds, and two casualty OTs to provide both pre-hospital and emergency care with plans of adding six more operation theatres in the next 6 months. The centre will also act as a referral hospital, where patients sent by zonal public hospitals and satellite trauma centers will be observed and treated.

A helipad has also been created on top of the building for transporting critically ill patients. AIIMS officials are also in discussion with Centralized Accident and Trauma Services to ply 300 additional ambulances within Delhi as they plan to post one ambulance for every 10 km initially, with a target of increasing this number to one ambulance for every 5 km within one year.

Over 957 fresh staff, including doctors, resident doctors, nurses and technical staff from specialties like neurosurgery, orthopedics, cardio-thoracic and vascular surgery, general surgery and plastic surgery have already been recruited and have been undergoing orientation training in AIIMS for the past 6 months.

The centre will be a boon for India, where road accidents have assumed epidemic proportions, with a death caused by road accident being reported every two minutes. According to the Health Ministry India accounts for almost 10% of total road accident fatalities in the world because of the large number of vehicles on Indian roads and the absence of any pre-hospital trauma care system which is most crucial when every minute impacts the patient's chances of survival. At least 40% deaths occur on the roadside due to delay in treatment.

The JPNATC should take care of this problem, at least for Delhi and the NCR by providing state-of-the art comprehensive trauma care services through a panel of full range of specialists who will be available 24 hours a day. Earlier, trauma cases were handled by the casualty ward but now, a separate hospital dedicated to this would definitely enhance the treatment of patients.