PANCHKULA: Until now, the Panchkula civil hospital in Sector 6 has been referring patients needing the service of intensive care to Chandigarh. The intensive care unit (ICU) in its premises is not equipped to handle seriously ill patients. But now, it is finally investing Rs 25 lakh to build a fully-equipped ICU.

Civil surgeon Yogesh Sharma said that as a huge number of patients were being referred to other hospitals due to lack of ICU facilities, the hospital administration came up with the idea of building an ICU with all the facilities and equipment at its own premises.

For years, critically ill patients were being either referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32, Chandigarh or Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh, as the Panchkula civil hospital did not even have ventilators.

The public works department (PWD) has invited tenders for setting up an ICU after finalising a building plan for the same. Confirming about the project, PWD executive engineer, Harpal Singh, said that the tenders have been floated and work would soon be allotted. “After approval from the health department, Rs 25 lakh has been sanctioned for the construction of the ICU. The building plan has been finalised, the work would be completed by April,” he said.

The civil surgeon informed that ICU would have around 10 beds. At present, the hospital’s ICU, which lack equipment and facilities, has no round-the-clock specialist doctors.