The Government General Hospital of the Madras Medical College, the oldest hospital in India started in November 1664 as a small hospital to treat the sick soldiers of the East India Company, will soon go hi-tech in terms of infrastructure and facilities matching any super specialty hospital in the country.

Slated for opening by April, this year, the Rs.104.47 crore renovation programme is nearing completion. Construction of the two tower blocks are nearing completion with interconnecting facilities, spacious corridors and high ceilings, wards with modern facilities, OP units, modern operation theatres, central laboratories, etc. The new administrative set up of the hospital, which handles an average of about 1500 inpatients and 5500 odd outpatients every day, will have a systematic arrangement to avoid criss-cross movement of patients for consultation, diagnosis, laboratories and treatment, say top level sources with the hospital administration.

A computerized patient registry will be implemented to reduce paperwork and for hassle free data management of the 2029 bedded hospital. Further, it proposes to introduce swipe cards for doctors and other paramedical staff. Doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff will have to swipe their cards during movement within the wards and other operation theaters of the huge seven storied twin tower complex, so that any staff could be located easily during emergencies.

The hospital administration feel, introduction of paid wards and luxury wards would help to generate substantial revenue to maintain the hospital. According to the plans, the hospital will have independent rooms, luxury rooms with air-conditioning and television sets, separate luxury wards with four and double beds etc. There would be different packages for the patients, depending on their requirements, said sources.

Elaborating the infrastructure, the sources said since Chennai comes under seismic zone III, the structure is designed considering the seismic forces. The structures have a framed structure with pile foundation and the tower blocks have structural glazing, aluminium composite panel cladding and Novakote finish. Special type of doubly glazed windows filled with nitrogen gas will be provided in the intermittent space for the ICU's, IMCU's, and operation theatres so as to protect these rooms from outside heat and to get proper natural lighting.

With a view to reduce maintenance costs in the long run, the modern operation theatres have special type of flooring, walls and false ceilings of stainless steel. Three staircases and eight lifts will work in both the towers. A ramp with access to all floors is also provided, besides separate fire escape staircase and garbage disposal lift at the rear side of the building. A 1000KVA generator with automatic main failure panel and an advanced A/C plant has been set up in the complex. Communication facilities will include installation of ISDN, EPABX system with digital extension with special features and latest configuration with power backup batteries, installation of sound management system (paging system), public address system in the various units, closed circuit TVs, fully networked computer system etc., said sources.

As per the records, the hospital was founded during 1664 and subsequently turned into Garrison Hospital in 1814. During 1835, the hospital was developed towards the academic line and started the Medical School, which later became the famous Madras Medical College since 1850.

The existing main building was constructed in 1842, in the shape of capital letter H, and the present design retains its old shape. Various departments started functioning in the hospital since 1935 and additional buildings were constructed for accommodating the departments. Currently, the Madras Medical College has about 84 departments, including 41 at the Government Hospital main block, eight attached to the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 20 departments of the Institute of Child Health, Kasthurba Gandhi Hospital, Regional Institute of Ophthalmic Hospital, Institute of Mental Health and a few other hospitals attached to the MMC. The staff strength is to the tune of over 10,000, including about 1500 doctors. As per the statistics, the Government General Hospital conducts an average of about 30,000 operations in a year including more than 12,000 major surgeries, and it has over 55,000 inpatients every year.