The Centre-owned Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML), formerly Willingdon Hospital which was established by the British for their staff, is all set to become the first Central Government-run medical facility in the country to have a helipad on its rooftop.
Being adjacent to Parliament and offices of various Ministries and situated in the Lutyen’s Zone, the one of the premier hospitals in the country caters to many VIPs, besides general public.
The Expert Appraisal Committee under the Union Environment Ministry last month in a meeting recommended a term of reference (ToR) for the Rs 463 crore project which envisages construction of a high-rise new super speciality-cum-paid ward block with 509 beds and a helipad at the terrace floor.
The 11-floor high-rise block will have general beds (392 numbers), ICU beds (51 numbers), private beds (66 numbers), Cath Lab (3 numbers), operation theaters (17 numbers), OPD Rooms (96 numbers), PG Seats (60 numbers) and 20 departments of various streams. The expansion will result into around 2000 beds at the hospital which has a college named as Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences.
A senior official from the RML Hospital said that with helipad on top, critical patients as well organs for transplantation can be lifted or brought at the hospital saving time and ultimately life.
He asserted that emergencies can happen anytime without warning and it is important that facilities are accessible to save the lives. Currently some private hospitals including Medanta and Apollo have airlifting facilities at a hefty flying cost.
The EAC after intense deliberation of the project, has asked the project proponent and consultant Grass Roots Research & Creation India to submit details of helipad proposed and its uses as well as water and waste management plan to carry out environment impact assessment and plan.
