New Delhi, September 28 (Daily Kiran) : Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda conducted a review of the Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and its affiliated hospitals, including the Shrimati Sucheta Kripalani Hospital (SSKH) and the Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital (KSCH), on September 28. The meeting emphasized strengthening healthcare infrastructure, specialized clinical services, medical education, research, and patient care.
During the review, Nadda was updated on the ongoing expansion at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital. Plans are in place to increase the hospital’s total bed capacity from 394 to 894, boost ICU beds from 40 to 200, and expand the number of operating theaters from four to twelve. The construction aims to enhance tertiary and super-specialty pediatric care while also expanding the capacity for undergraduate, postgraduate, and super-specialty medical education and training.
Addressing the meeting, Nadda stressed that ongoing and future projects at LHMC and its affiliated hospitals should adopt a patient-centered and forward-looking approach that prioritizes evolving medical needs. He urged the use of expertise and best practices from leading institutions during the planning and design phases. The minister also highlighted the importance of ensuring high construction quality and closely monitoring project timelines.
Nadda called for timely reporting of issues related to approvals and clearances that may require ministry intervention. He underscored the necessity for parallel recruitment of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals alongside infrastructure expansion.
Looking ahead, he urged the development of a comprehensive master plan with a long-term institutional vision, incorporating immediate priorities and phased development for the coming decades. He encouraged exploring private sector expertise and partnerships for planning and implementing large-scale projects, ensuring that quality, efficiency, and patient care remain central to all initiatives.
During his visit, the minister toured the state-of-the-art skill lab at Lady Hardinge Medical College. This facility offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary simulation-based training environment, providing practical and competency-based training in a safe and controlled setting. It features dedicated simulation areas for ICU, surgical skills, obstetrics, trauma, ENT, and ophthalmology, along with briefing and debriefing areas and task trainers for procedural skills training.
The skill lab serves as an integrated platform for undergraduate and postgraduate training, procedural skills development, faculty development, multidisciplinary team training, and competency-based assessments. It aids in enhancing clinical and surgical skills, decision-making, teamwork, communication, and crisis management abilities, contributing to improved patient safety.
Nadda also visited the newly operational Augmented Level III-B Neonatal Care Center at Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, reviewing the advanced facilities available for newborn care. The Neonatology department features 80 intensive care beds, attending to over 10,000 deliveries and 2,500 NICU admissions annually, with an overall survival rate exceeding 93%. The neonatal care facility offers advanced services, including high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV), inhaled nitric oxide therapy, therapeutic hypothermia, advanced monitoring, and comprehensive respiratory support.
The recently operational NICU-B includes seven NICU beds, eight HDU beds, 15 Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) beds, and 12 cots for mothers. Family-centered care, Kangaroo Mother Care, and breastfeeding support are emphasized here.
The review and tours highlighted the ongoing efforts by LHMC and its affiliated hospitals to enhance advanced patient care, specialized pediatric and neonatal services, medical education, simulation-based training, and research. There was a strong focus on the continuous expansion and modernization of healthcare infrastructure.
The meeting was attended by Sunil Kumar Barnwal, CEO of the National Health Authority (NHA); Dr. LG Krishna, Director General of Health Services (DGHS); GS Chitra, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Dr. Himani Ahlawat, Director of LHMC; Dr. Arvind Kumar, Medical Superintendent of LHMC; Dr. Vikram Dutta, Medical Superintendent of LHMC; and Dr. Sujata Gautam, Principal of LHMC.
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