The city's Safdarjung Hospital has entered its platinum jubilee year and the administration has planned a huge infrastructure revamp, including construction of two major blocks.
The hospital started its journey in 1942 as the '100th Station Hospital' and was set up for treatment of injured American soldiers of the allied forces during World War II.
"It is a matter of great pride that we have reached the platinum jubilee of this institution. And in May, we will be completing 75 years.
"A huge infrastructure upgrade will augment facilities at this overburdened hospital so that we can better serve people," hospital's medical superintendent, A K Rai said.
Situated in the heart of the city next to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), it started as a 150- bedded hospital and was constructed under the supervision of Col Robert P Williams, who was General Stilwell's staff surgeon.
Spread over 47 acres, in these seven decades, it has grown from military barracks to an over 1,500-bedded hospital and offers affordable healthcare to patients streaming in from all parts of the country.
"Our Emergency and Superspecialty Block is nearing completion. There are a few logistical issues, but we hope to open it by April end. Also, once this new emergency block is ready, the old emergency (casualty) block will be demolished to make way for a new Mother and Child Block.
"And once the mother and child block shifts there, its old block will be demolished to make an orthopaedic centre. Similarly, other parts of the campus will be redeveloped in a phased manner so that patient care does not suffer and we grow along," Rai told PTI.
Asked if there are any celebrations lined up to mark the platinum jubilee of its foundation, he said, "No funds have been earmarked" specifically for it.
"Unlike AIIMS, which is an autonomous institution, we are funded by the Centre and our priorities are healthcare and infrastructure upgrade. We do not have funds at the moment to commemorate 75 years," he said.
AIIMS marked its diamond jubilee last year with much fanfare and a host of events were held to mark the occasion.
Purpose-built close to the city's lone airstrip, the Willingdon Airfield (now known as Safdarjung Airport), it came to be called by people as the American Hospital and salvaged many lives during the raging war, according to archives.
After independence, the government dedicated it to the people and named it after Safdarjung, the Mughal general Abul Mansur Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan, a fine connoisseur of art, culture and education.
"We have many first to our credits and the first centre for nuclear medicine started here. The first few batches of AIIMS picked up the first lessons in clinical skills here. We may not have any plans to mark the platinum jubilee, but we have indeed much to be proud of," Rai said.
The new state-of-the-art Emergency and Superspecialty
Block are planned to be equipped with modern facilities.
There are about 15 operation theatres for major surgeries and two minor operation theatres, 70-bedded ICUs, 69-bedded triage area, 50 single-bed rooms, 300-bedded general ward with six beds in each cubicle, facility for CT scan, MRI, plaster room, DSA (digital subtraction angiography), orthopaedic surgery, general paediatric surgery, ENT surgery all within the premises of the emergency building, Rai said.
"From OT, a patient will be directly shifted to ICU, depending upon the intensity of the surgery. All these facilities at the emergency centre are free of any cost, except a few blood investigations.
"The super speciality building has been built at the back side of the hospital. It will have 800 beds, out of which 200 beds will be private wards," he said.
One of the largest, tertiary, level multi-disciplinary healthcare institutions in this part of the world, the hospital also has an attached medical college - Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) which started in 2001.
"We did the first convocation of the college in 2016. So, you can imagine the challenges. As much as we want to hold the platinum jubilee celebrations, we have no funds earmarked for it," Rai rued.
"The institution receives a huge footfall. On most days of the year, the doctors of the hospital attend to more than 6,000 out patients, the wards are home to around 2,000 patients, and its 32 operation theatres and two labour rooms hum 24x7 with surgical procedures to tender people the best possible healthcare," say Yatish Agarwal, professor in the department of radiology.
Rai said, besides the planned infrastructural revamp, the hospital has also received proposals to redevelop our quarters in West Kidwai Nagar.
"The NBCC (National Buildings Construction Corporation) has proposed to redevelop the quarters located opposite to our hospital campus. We haven't made any decision on that," he said.
In 1972, the newly-built emergency block of the hospital became home to the students of University College of Medical Sciences.
UCMS functioned in these premises until 1989, and the students took their clinical training in the hospital. The college shifted between 1986 and 1989 to its new quarters in east Delhi.
Abul Mansur Mirza, who ascended the throne of Oudh in 1739, was bestowed the title of 'Safdarjung' by Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.
A fine connoisseur of art, culture and education, Mirza established many institutions of charity, seats of learning and beautiful gardens and monuments. His iconic tomb is located close to the hospital and a street and an enclave have also been named here in his honour in south Delhi.
"We also have a lot of archival images detailing the journey of the hospital, but as of now there is no plan to publish a commemorative volume for want of funds," Rai said.
