50-bed trauma centre to come up on 3-acre plot in front of Mani Majra Civil Hospital

According to Director Health Services, Dr Suman Singh, the project could not commence earlier due to the unavailability of land. The land now allocated belongs to the Municipal Corporation. In return, the department has to provide some land to the corporation, a matter being handled by the Chandigarh Administration. Work will begin soon, and Rs 23-crore budget for the new centre has already been approved. Since the land is right in front of the Civil Hospital, Mani Majra, accessibility for patients will not be an issue.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a plan was formulated to establish 92 health centres in the city under the PM ABHIM Yojana. However, the Health Department informed the ministry that there was insufficient space in the city to accommodate new health centres. In response, the Chandigarh Administration proposed using the allocated budget to establish a trauma centre instead.

Considering this, the Health Department last year submitted a proposal to the ministry for a trauma centre in Mani Majra. Once the centre is established, the process of recruiting trained doctors will begin.

Currently, trauma and emergency cases are referred to GMCH-32, GMSH-16, and PGI. However, these hospitals are already operating at full capacity. Patients from Mani Majra and surrounding areas face long travel times to reach GMSH-16. In trauma cases, the initial treatment window is critical, and if patients can receive care closer home, their chances of survival and recovery improve. The planned 50-bed trauma centre will be equipped with essential facilities such as orthopedics and emergency surgery, making it a fully functional basic trauma centre.

Mani Majra Hospital currently has 100 beds, including departments for gynaecology, medicine, general wards, and other specialties. Additionally, 13 beds are reserved for emergency cases. The number of trauma and emergency cases varies daily, with patients arriving from Mani Majra, Panchkula, Kishangarh, and nearby areas.

As far as referral cases are concerned, one in every two or three patients is referred to another hospital based on their condition. At GMSH-16, 200 to 300 patients are treated in the emergency department daily while the OPD handles around 2,500 to 3,000 patients per day.

With the establishment of the Mani Majra Trauma Centre, emergency care will become more accessible, reducing travel time and ensuring timely medical intervention for trauma patients. “The centre will have state-of-the-art facilities and the latest in medical care, and will provide relief to patients from the area and around,” says Dr Singh.