NEW DELHI: To ensure last-mile connectivity with different clinical departments, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences will start a pick-up and drop-off facility for patients from nearby metro stations to the OPD and other centres situated in the campus using 100 shuttles.
Sources said that a purchase order for 100 such e-buses has been placed and the procurement is expected to be completed in a month. Spawned on 213 acres, the institute’s campus is close to two metro stations–AIIMS metro (yellow line) and South Extension metro (pink line).
Patients coming from Gate no. 1 of the hospital will have the facility of taking a shuttle service which would transport people to different centres.
Meanwhile, those coming via South Extension station either change the line at INA station or take an auto-rickshaw to reach Gate no. 6 which lies on the ring road. The service will allow those coming via the South Extention Station to reach the hospital without out-of-pocket expenditure on auto.
Sources said that though the service will be available 24x7, the frequency will be reduced at night. They also said that the service is extremely important considering the volume of patients arriving at the hospital and new blocks being opened.
“Every day, around 15,000 patients come to AIIMS. The purpose was to make travel between different centres easier for the patients. It will be a step to further enhance the accessibility by establishing a direct route for the patients,” a senior official said.