The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences will be laying astro-turf for beautification of the campus costing a staggering Rs 14 crores. The faculty has raised objection, saying that this extravagance is least expected where basic amenities are lacking. Astro turf is laid on hockey grounds and is mostly imported.
“Spending Rs 14 crores for grass sounds ridiculous. This money can be spent on providing free medicines to poor patients or providing basic amenities that are lacking,” a senior official of AIIMS said on condition of anonymity. “When something can be done in lakhs, then why spend crores. It is like ditching the patients who come from far off places,” he added. As per the sources the project got a go ahead from the Union health ministry. AIIMS PRO Dr Y.K. Gupta said that beautification of the campus in the wake of Commonwealth Games 2010 is going on and all the projects got a sanction from the authorities. However, he denied any information regarding the cost of the project.
The astro turf will be laid at gates number one and two facing Safdarjung hospital. As a part of the beautification drive, the police post and railway reservation counter have been shifted to a corner near the Mother Dairy.
Experts do not recommend plants in the hospital premises at all. “No plant should be allowed in the hospital premises. Anything that is artificial or not natural is even more dangerous. Astro turf may be allergic to some people as the vaccine used to keep it green may cause allergy to some patients so this is not recommended in hospitals at least,” well known cardiologist Dr K.K. Aggrawal said.