Underground parking facility of AIIMS inaugurated

New Delhi, May 6 (ANI): Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated a three level underground parking facility of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here today.

Addressing participants at the inauguration, Azad said he had laid the foundation stone of the project on October 1, 2011. Construction work was completed within nine months. But due to delay in getting clearances from various departments for a formal opening, the parking facility could only be opened today.

"The parking facility has been constructed by HSCC at a cost of Rs.54 crores. The underground parking facility will accommodate 400 vehicles," he added.

He said the average number of vehicles entering the AIIMS campus is around 5400 on working days and 3200 on Sundays / holidays.

"To meet the huge parking needs, in addition to this, AIIMS authorities are further working on the master plan, where it is proposed to create an underground parking hub which would accommodate about 10,000 vehicles. After the approval of the master plan by the NDMC and other authorities, the proposal will be taken to the next logical step," he added.

Asserting that AIIMS New Delhi is at the forefront of medical education, research and patient care in the country, Azad said: "During 2011-12 more than 26 lakh patients visited the OPDs and emergency departments. Over 1.7 lakh patients were admitted; and more than 1.26 lakh surgeries were performed by the doctors and specialists at AIIMS New Delhi."

"These figures speak volumes about the enormous load being handled by the AIIMS faculty, staff and authorities," he added.

He further hoped that with the start of six more new AIIMS in various parts of the country, the number of patients coming to New Delhi would be reduced in the coming years. (ANI)