Aiding smooth movement of patients, medical team and visitors, 14 lifts have become operational at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), which is a tertiary-level Government hospital of the region.
The lifts, large in size, can also carry patients in stretcher from one floor to another depending on the requirement.
Of the 14 lifts, the centenary building is fitted with eight new lifts. The old blocks house five. The new building, which can accommodate 800 beds, currently has 400 beds.
“While new lifts were installed at the centenary building, the defunct ones in the old blocks have been repaired. Some of the lifts were lying defunct for a long period. Now patients, medical teams and visitors have easy movement in various blocks,” said CMCH Dean B. Asokan.
In the old building, blocks housing Outpatients Ward, Neurology and Plastic Surgery Ward, Male Medical Ward, CemONC (Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and New born Care) Ward and Female Medical Ward have lifts operational now.
The old building has a capacity of 1,182 beds. A lift has been set up at the mortuary building. According to officials, another lift will be set up at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) functioning on the hospital premises.
Dr. Asokan said that arrangements are being made for the maximum utilisation of the two battery operated cars used for shifting patients between wards at the hospital.
On an average, CMCH witnesses 6,500 outpatients a day with nearly 1,700 inpatients. Around 15,000 people visit the hospital per day.