The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has opened a motorable tunnel-cum-surface road for the quick transfer of patients between the hospital’s main campus and the Dr. JPNA Trauma Centre.
According to senior AIIMS officials, the project, the first in the country, was planned to ensure timely medical help to patients.
Say bye to congestion
Earlier, ambulances transporting patients from the main campus in Ansari Nagar to the trauma centre— located on the congested Ring Road between Safdarjung Hospital and Bhikaji Cama Place — during peak traffic hours would take 15-30 minutes. With the opening of the tunnel, the travelling time has come down to just three minutes.
“The trauma centre needs frequent exchange of doctors, patients and support staff with the AIIMS main building located at about 1 km away along Ring Road,” said one of the engineers involved in the project.
Boon for residents
The tunnel will also ensure easy approachability for West Colony residents, said officials.
Built by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the 1020-metre connection involved sophisticated tunnelling 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, officials said. The road tunnel is above the existing line-2 metro tunnel (Jahangirpuri-Huda City Centre). Work on the project, which cost ₹40 crore, started in 2012.
The staff of the institute has been asked to come up with suggestions for improvement of the tunnel before it is officially inaugurated.
