Times of India
27 September 2010
By Durgesh Nandan Jha
New Delhi, India

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated India’s first sports injury centre at Safdarjung hospital on Sunday. Officials claimed the centre, built at a cost of Rs 70.72 crore, will cater to athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games and once the event is over, will provide world–class treatment to sportspersons in the country.

Officials said treatment for various sports injuries like runners knee, a painful condition generally associated with running, tennis elbow, broken bone and torn ligament etc will be available at the centre. Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit were present at the inauguration on Sunday.

"Emergency services will be operational from Monday. All other services including indoor admissions and hydrotherapy units will be made functional in next two to three days,’’ said Dr Deepak Chaudhury, director of the centre. He said the 35–bed hospital is equipped with modern operation theatres, physiotherapy units and diagnostic facilities such as digital x–ray, Doppler test and bone desitometry test.

"The centre will be a boon for arthritis patients and those suffering from joint problems. They will get specialized treatment for these problems, common among aged persons, almost free of cost,’’ added another official. He said that a state–level cricketer Rohit has already been operated upon two days ago at the centre for shoulder injury.

The new centre has gym facilities for different group of patients, including facilities for cardio and strength training. There is a hydrotherapy unit which will provide sauna bath, chill shower and steam bath for faster recovery and rehabilitation. However, the electrical work in some of these units is yet to be finished.

The hospital has recruited 187 people, including specialized orthopaedic doctors, paramedics, nurses and physiotherapists for the centre. Usually injury cases, specially in contact sports, are referred for treatment abroad. "Cricketers often have to go to countries like South Africa and Australia for treatment of complex sports injuries, which cost above Rs 10 lakh. The centre will provide them with a cheaper alternative,’’ said Dr Naval Bhatia, senior doctor at Safdarjung hospital.

Currently, there are few specialized doctors in sports medicine in the country. Other than the short–term diploma or certificate courses in sports medicine at Patiala, the country does not even have any special training facility for this field of medicine.