The sports injury centre at Safdarjung hospital which is being readied for the commonwealth games is at an advanced stage of construction and is expected to be completed by 31st August, said a press release by the health ministry.

The release refuting allegations made by a TV news channel that equipment worth crore has been purchased without the construction of the injury centre being complete.

The release said, “Whatever equipment that has been purchased has been done after proper planning and for ensuring that the centre becomes operational in September 2010.”

The total allocation for the centre is Rs.70.72 crore which is being met with from the normal plan allocation of the health ministry. This includes cost of construction of a seven storey building, equipment, furniture, staff salary and project management fee and maintenance for the first two years. The building is being constructed within the estimated cost of Rs. 32.5 crore.

Equipments worth Rs. 17 crore have been listed to be procured for the centre, out of which equipments worth Rs. 6 crore have already been procured. After installation and testing of these equipments, these will be functional by 15th September.

The centre will have the capacity of 35 beds, three operation theatres and a two-bedded intensive care unit. Equipments like MRI CT scan, bone densitometry, digital X-ray and color doppler and laboratory services have been outsourced on revenue sharing basis under the public private partnership mode.

When fully functional, it will be the largest medical outfit in the south-east Asia catering to the specific needs of sports men and women.