New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS): Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday laid the foundation stone for a super specialty wing and an emergency block at the Safdarjung Hospital here as part of its redevelopment project.

One of Delhi's oldest and among the first hospitals, it is visited by hundreds of patients every day.

The infrastructure upgradation of the hospital is planned with a 807-bed super specialty wing and a 500-bed emergency block, replete with intensive care unit beds.

"This redevelopment project aims to provide high quality state-of-the-art tertiary medical services to patients coming from all over the country," Azad said.

He spoke about the work done by the United Progressive Alliance government over the past 10 years, and mentioned that among other things, six new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences and 19 super specialty medical colleges have been established in the country.

Both projects are expected to be completed within a year. The super specialty block will have various departments like neurosurgery, nephrology, urology, radiology and cardiothoracic.

Lov Verma, secretary, ministry of health and family welfare, said the hospital receives an average daily emergency traffic of 800 patients, and sees around 74 deliveries daily.

"It serves 23 lakh patients in the OPD (out patient department) annually. The new emergency and super specialty block will be people-centric with an improved coordination to provide the best medical facilities to people," he said.