Ahmedabad: Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel inaugurated a series of new healthcare facilities at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital today. The upgrades include a 128-slice CT scan machine at the Trauma Centre, a new registration and pharmacy counter in the OPD building, and a therapeutic play area for children named “Chalo Ramiye” at the 1200-bed Women, Child, and Superspeciality Hospital.

The Health Minister also toured various departments of the hospital and participated in a review meeting with senior doctors at the 1200-bed unit. The new CT scan machine at the Trauma Centre, provided by GMSCL at a cost of ₹6.15 crore, aims to offer immediate radiological services to emergency patients. With the addition of this machine, the hospital now has four CT scanners, doubling its daily scanning capacity from 50 to nearly 100 patients and significantly reducing wait times.

To address overcrowding in the orthopaedic OPD—especially with an average daily footfall of 400 patients—the department has undergone a major renovation. A new air-conditioned waiting area with seating for over 75 patients has been created, along with facilities for drinking water, separate toilets for men, women, and persons with disabilities, and widened passages for stretchers and wheelchairs.

The old OPD building at Civil Hospital Ahmedabad houses the OPDs of Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Skin, Psychiatry, and Pulmonary Medicine, along with the RMO office. Around 2,200 patients and their attendants visit these departments daily. To improve convenience, separate air-conditioned counters for case registration and pharmacy have been established. The waiting area near the registration counter includes seating for over 75 patients, along with drinking water facilities and separate toilet blocks for men, women, and persons with disabilities.

Similarly, the waiting area at the pharmacy counter accommodates over 30 people. There are 11 separate pharmacy counters, including dedicated ones for men, women, PMJAY beneficiaries, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. This separation of counters will help patients receive timely and efficient medical services.

The “Chalo Ramiye” therapeutic garden—built in memory of the late Urvashiben Shankarlal Patel with contributions from Narendra Shankarlal Patel, the Nirma Rotary Club of Kankaria, and Naroda MLA Dr. Payal Kukrani—was also inaugurated. Designed to support the emotional and psychological well-being of children undergoing treatment, the garden creates a safe and engaging environment that promotes recovery through play.

Under the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited’s CSR initiative, another 128-slice CT scan machine, worth approximately ₹7 crore, has been installed at the 1200-bed hospital, further strengthening its diagnostic infrastructure. This will ensure that patients receive advanced radiological services without delays. DeshGujarat