Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) is set to receive a six-bedded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as part of the Sehatmand Punjab Mission, Punjab health and family welfare minister Dr Balbir Singh said on Friday.

Singh, who was visiting the medical college to assess the ICU’s preparedness, announced that chief minister Bhagwant Mann will inaugurate the facility that will provide ventilator support to patients at nominal prices. The minister emphasised that the ICU was fully operational and equipped with essential life-saving equipment, including ventilators, crash carts, patient monitors, defibrillators, and infusion pumps. The establishment of this ICU is expected to enhance the state’s medical infrastructure.

Additionally, Singh inspected the newly constructed Biosafety Level 2 Lab at the hospital. The lab boasts advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment such as biosafety cabinets, RNA extractors, centrifuges, and PCR machines. The lab will help in the timely identification of viruses with public health significance, such as influenza, respiratory tract infections, vector-borne viruses, and gastrointestinal infections.