100-bed CCU at GIMS & rail underpass projects launched

Noida: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a virtual ceremony on Monday, laid the foundation stones of key projects, among them a Rs 10 crore underpass at a railway crossing in Sahibabad, and a 100-bed critical care unit (CCU) at GIMS-Noida. Officials said the underpass will benefit hundreds of commuters who have to wait for trains to pass before they can cross the road in the Karkar Model area.“Railways will build the underpass at an estimated cost of Rs 10 crore. Box-pushing technology will be used under which 10-metre-long seven boxes will be inserted at the rail crossing. It will allow uninhibited movement of vehicles and pedestrian movement during construction as well,” an official said. Sahibabad resident Santosh Tyagi said the underpass was a long-standing demand. “The rail track is part of the busy Howrah-Delhi route, which sees dozens of trains passing through it daily. It was an ordeal for commuters as they had to wait at the crossing for trains to pass. After about five years, the demand has been met and it will provide relief to hundreds of daily commuters,” Tyagi said.The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for a five-storey CCU to be built on the campus of Government Institute Medical Sciences for Rs 30 crore.Officials said the facility will benefit patients from western UP, including giving them access to advanced healthcare. The CCU will be equipped to handle trauma cases and complex neurosurgeries. Work on the CCU building is expected to start by March end. Construction of a nursing college will also start on the 56-acre GIMS campus. Uttar Pradesh State Construction Corporation is the executing agency for the CCU.On Sunday, the PM had also laid the foundation stones of CCU units in 15 districts of UP. GIMS director Brigadier (Retd) Dr Rakesh Gupta said that the work of cleaning and soil testing of the land marked for CCU was going on and construction will start soon.“In the last 5 years, GIMS has made great progress in providing quality treatment to patients. Services like blood bank, CT scan, MRIs and pathology are available. Over 1,500 patients visit every day, an increase of two to three times the numbers earlier,” Dr Gupta said.