Tunnel connecting AIIMS with JPN Apex Trauma Centre opened; travel time reduced from 30 minutes to 5 minutes

The 997-meter long tunnel will shorten the distance to reach the AIIMS Trauma Centre.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated an underground tunnel connecting JPN Apex Trauma Centre with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 997-meter long tunnel, which will be used to transport critically ill patients from the JPN Apex Trauma Center to AIIMS bypassing overhead traffic, a PIB release said.

Prime Minister @narendramodi inaugurates #AIIMSTunnel, a 997 meter long tunnel which will be used to transport critically ill patience from JPN Apex Trauma Center to #AIIMS bypassing overhead traffic pic.twitter.com/JuqnrfQYV5 — PIB India (@PIB_India) June 29, 2018

The work on the ambitious project of the AIIMS had hit a roadblock for nearly two years. However, with the tunnel becoming fully operational from Friday, it will enable quick transfer of critical patients from the hospital to the AIIMS Trauma Centre - from 30 minutes to just five minutes. 

The 997-metre-long tunnel, work for which started in 2012, cost Rs 40 crore.

It is the first such project to be implemented in the country, wherein a road tunnel has been constructed above an operational Metro tunnel with a minimum clearance of 1.6 metres. 

Built by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the “motorable tunnel-cum-surface road”, involved sophisticated tunneling through “the cut-and-cover method”. 

The height of the tunnel is 4.2 metres and the carriageway is 7 metres, excluding a footpath of 1.5 metres, according to DMRC officials said.

At present, the ambulance services transporting patients from AIIMS main campus to the trauma centre — located on the congested Ring Road between Safdarjung Hospital and Bhikaji Cama Place — during peak traffic hours take at least 30 minutes. 

The facility will now be used by the ambulances, hospital staff and the family of the patients. 

Besides. the PM also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Ageing at AIIMS which will be built in a year and a half at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore. 

PM Shri @narendramodi lays the foundation stone of National Centre for Ageing at AIIMS; dedicates Super Specialty Block at the Safdarjung Hospital to the nation. pic.twitter.com/BCvKoNAsNb — BJP LIVE (@BJPLive) June 29, 2018

The Centre with 200-bed capacity will provide the older population with multi-speciality healthcare.

He also inaugurated a 300-bed Powergrid Vishram Sadan at AIIMS.

At Safdarjung Hospital, Modi inaugurated a 555-bed super-speciality block and a 500-bed emergency block.

"Over Rs 1,300 crore was spend on the Safdarjung Hospital to make it technologically advance," he said.