Dikshit, Azad lay Delhi hospital foundation

Delhi Chief Minister and Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Wednesday laid a 200-bed multi-speciality hospital's foundation here to provide free healthcare to the poor.

The hospital would be constructed in two years in south Delhi's Ambedkar Nagar area, largely inhabited by the poor who would get free services round-the-clock.

Once completed, the secondary level multi-speciality hospital will be the second such infrastructure in south Delhi after Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, said a Delhi government official.

With an estimated cost of Rs.149 crore, it will provide services in clinical disciplines of medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics besides supportive specialities like anaesthesiology, laboratory, radiology, etc.

Half the beds will be for maternal and child care services.

Dikshit said south Delhi lacked in health care while Azad urged people to avail benefits of central- and state-sponsored health schemes.

The chief minister added: "Delhi is the only city in the country to have five accredited hospitals. Delhi is coming up as a medical tourism hub."

Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia said with the completion of this hospital, the existing bed to population ratio would increase from 2.54 per thousand to three per thousand.

The hospital would be funded under the National Rural Health Mission and developed as per the Green Building Concept.