Punjab Guv assures support to spinal injury centre

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 12

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore visited the Regional Spinal Injury Centre in Mohali on Sunday.

Dr Raj Bahadur, director of the centre, said the Governor assured that the Punjab Government and the UT Administration would do whatever is required to take the centre to the next level.

The SAS Nagar centre is being supported by the Punjab Government. So far, it has performed over 300 major spinal surgeries and has a total of 16 beds at present and aims at increasing the bed capacity to 50.

The idea of the Regional Spinal Injury Centre was conceived in 2000 by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Started with a budget of Rs 3 crore, it was part of the four centres to be opened nationwide. The centre became functional in 2006 and performed the first surgery in 2011. Since then, around 1,500 surgeries have been performed at the centre.

Among the four centres in the country, the SAS Nagar centre is the only one that has reached to advanced stage of patient care. Dr Raj Bahadur said Mohali is the only centre which provides hydro therapy and is also planning to build six-bed intensive care unit.