NEW DELHI: In a move to provide further relief to the patients coming to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, 50 new battery-powered buses will be made available for the transportation of patients, attendants and other support staff within the campus.
The move has come after AIIMS Director Dr M Srinivas noticed that the existing fleet of buses is “inadequate” for the purpose of internal transportation.The vehicles will be procured from the contributions made through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
“It is noticed that the number of battery-powered buses currently available for transporting patients/attendants and other support staff within AIIMS is inadequate. Accordingly, it has been decided
that 50 nos. of additional battery-powered buses should be added to the existing fleet,” a letter issued by the institute’s director read.
The new fleet will be in addition to the existing fleet, according to the letter. All the vehicles will have “free service” mentioned on them.“Due precaution must be taken that it is boldly mentioned on all such internal transport vehicles that this is a ‘free service’ for transport within AIIMS campus only,” the order said.
The security department will provide regular feedback regarding the availability, frequency, and quality of the said service to central transport and has been directed to ensure that no patient is fleeced or
inconvenienced by the battery-powered bus operators, it added.
Built on nearly 400 acres, AIIMS Delhi’s East campus is the prime patient service hub containing OPDs, main hospital, general and private wards, an administrative wing, a medical college, a research section, and staff quarters.
The East Campus also houses the cardiothoracic and neurosciences specialty centres, the cancer centre, the centre for ophthalmic sciences, and the centre for dental education and research.