Tiruchy's MGMGH to shift trauma care unit to multi-speciality block
TIRUCHY: In a change of plans, the Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative (TAEI) ward functioning out of the Super Speciality Block of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) will now be shifted to the new block coming up on campus upon completion of its construction.
Chief Minister M K Stalin is likely to inaugurate the facility by the end of January, officials said. While the relocation was not part of the original plan when the project for the new block was launched in March 2024, scope emerged for redesign and functional improvisation during the later stages of construction.
Based on this, Dean S Kumaravel suggested integrating and strengthening emergency services in the new block to enhance trauma and critical care delivery, hospital officials said. Coming up on a 2,600 sq m site, the ground-plus-six-floored structure was initially designed to house outpatient services for seven departments and 12 modular operation theatres.
The plan was subsequently modified to accommodate TAEI’s green and yellow zones, a nearby ICU and allied emergency facilities. The overall building now has a capacity of around 630 beds, with about 60 beds dedicated to emergency care.
Hospital officials said the existing TAEI ward, though spacious and adequately equipped, poses access challenges. “The current emergency ward is good in terms of space, but reaching it requires crossing several offices and corridors. During critical emergencies, even a few minutes matter. The new building offers direct access, which will significantly improve patient movement,” a senior official said.
The new block will have two separate entrances - one for the general public and another exclusively for emergency cases. A dedicated ambulance ramp will lead straight to the emergency lobby, with the ramp, portico and basement level aligned on the same plan to ensure seamless transfer of the patients.
A public works department (PWD) official said interior works, including modular installations, medical gas pipelines, woodwork and painting, are under way at the new block. “External works will commence this week, and the entire structure is expected to be completed by the end of January,” the official said. Once operational, the emergency block is expected to reduce congestion, improve ambulance response time and strengthen MGMGH’s capacity to handle trauma and accident cases.