Delhi to get 36 new hospitals: Dikshit

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today reiterated her Government's commitment to construct 36 new hospitals in various parts of the Capital for taking primary healthcare to the doorstep of people and providing super specialty services to them.

''Out of 36, work for setting up seven new hospitals at Koki Wala Bagh, Burari, Hastsal, Sarita Vihar, Baprola, Keshav Puram and Molar Bund will start during 2007-2008,'' Ms Dikshit said at the inaugural ceremony of newly constructed campus of Institute of Human Behaviour&Allied Sciences (IHBAS).

The new hospitals will help in strengthening and expanding multi-disciplinary hospitals to make secondary and tertiary healthcare accessible to common man, she added.

The fleet of CAT ambulance has been also increased up to 300, the Chief Minister announced.

Ms Dikshit said the Delhi State Cancer Institute established at GTB Hospital is the first government institution in the country to exclusively start with the latest Linear Accelerator based precision radiotherapy facility.

Neurosurgery services will start at IHBAS to provide comprehensive care and the current bed strength of 245, will be increased to 500.

''IHBAS is the only Institute of its kind in Northern India.

With its multidisciplinary approach and equal emphasis on socio-cultural factors, the stigma associated with mental disorders has been mitigated to some extent,'' she said IHBAS is also providing community care at Jahangirpuri and Chhatarpur. Community Mental Health Services for the homeless are provided twice a week at the Jama Masjid clinic.

UNI