Date:05/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/05/stories/2007110559380400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

New Gandhi Hospital block to be opened today

The move is aimed at extending services to middle and upper-middle class

- PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

SPRUCING UP: A worker engrossed in his work at the new block of the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD: A paying-room block with facilities on par with any other corporate hospital in twin cities is getting ready for occupation at Gandhi Hospital. Clearly targeting the upper-middle class, the hospital is all set to open the block for public from Monday.

Best possible facilities including air-conditioned rooms, cubicles, VIP lounge-cum-recovery rooms with trappings like television, refrigerators, air-conditioners, a drug-store on the same floor would be a part of the block. The block would also contain an exclusive refectory for the recuperating patients and attenders.

The paying-room block would have a dedicated team of doctors, nurses, paramedics and maintenance staff round-the-clock in three shifts. Minimal investigative facilities including ECG and oxygen supply would be provided on the same floor.

Hospital officials informed that paying rooms would be competitively priced much below the existing rates at corporate hospitals and Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences. Charges for air-conditioned rooms would range between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 1,500 while for non-AC rooms would range between Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,000 per day.

Cubicles in the line of a dormitory would cost anywhere from Rs. 250 to Rs. 500 per day, officials informed.

In all, there are about 40 such paying rooms in the hospital.

“The block would be treated as a separate entity. Essentially, we wanted to provide such services to the middle and upper-middle class in the hospital,” maintained Superintendent of Gandhi Hospital B. Balraju.

Meanwhile, in another related development, a hi-tech laparoscopic simulator worth Rs. 40 lakh was acquired and would be fully functional from Monday at the hospital.

The surgical simulator would enable students and doctors to practice complex laparoscopic procedures before they actually take up surgeries on patients.

“This is for the first time such a hi-tech simulator is acquired at Government-level in our State. The simulator would be used to train all Government medical students and doctors in the State,” Mr. Balraju said.