Jipmer to build critical care block

Once operationalised, the new critical care hospital facility will augment Jipmer’s capacity to provide high-end critical care services to patients from Puducherry and adjoining States, especially during pandemic situations

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) will construct a 150-bedded critical care hospital block.

Jipmer, being one of the 12 Central government institutions for setting up Critical Care Hospital blocks under the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM ABHIM) project, is undertaking construction of the new block on its main campus under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

However, while the block will be connected to the existing hospital, it has been designed such that, in the event of an outbreak of an infectious disease such as COVID-19, it can be isolated from the rest of the hospital to function as an independent hospital with a separate entrance and exit, a press note from Jipmer said.

“The block will in usual times function as an integral part of the hospital, but will be isolated from the rest of the hospital to serve as an independent, isolated critical care block for managing infectious diseases during any future pandemic-like situation”, the press note said.

The block will have an emergency department, imaging services, laboratory services. intensive care unit beds, high-dependency beds, isolation beds, operation theatres, and labour rooms. This will allow it to handle all kinds of patients with an infectious disease., including those who may in addition have another co-existing disease needing surgery or may be pregnant.

The entity will also possess all the modem facilities such as medical gas pipeline system, liquid oxygen supply, air handling units and mechanisms for infection prevention and control.