PGI to be national telemedicine centre: Nadda

Charu Chhibber

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

The PGI will soon become the national telemedicine centre. This was stated by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda during the 121st meeting of the governing body of the PGI here today.

The minister, who is also president of the governing body, chaired the meeting. 

“We have made a beginning by taking a lead. Let’s hope we set up a national telemedicine centre soon,” Nadda said.

The institute currently has a telemedicine programme in the specialties of gynaecology, paediatrics, medicine and surgery. The governing body decided that there was a need to expand the same to other specialties, informed Ali R Rizvi, joint secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“A need is also felt to have dedicated doctors to provide telemedicine service to remote centres. We need to build a system within the institute wherein telemedicine requirements from remote centres cascade to the pertinent consultant,” said Rizvi. He further informed that the health minister had asked the PGI to formulate a protocol for the same within 15 days.

The project of telepsychiatry, initiated by former Dean Dr Savita Malhotra, will be revived. The PGI would provide the funding for the purpose and make it a permanent facility, informed Rizvi.

“The facility of tele-evidence will be extended to all medical colleges in India,” he said.

Minister gives cold shoulder to faculty

“We waited the entire day today to meet the health minister but in vain,” rued Dr Manish Rathi, secretary, PGI Faculty Association. He added that in the evening, the members went to the airport to meet the minister but the request was turned down. The faculty then handed over their demands to the PGI Deputy Director, Administration, to be forwarded to the minister. 

Parents protest

Parents of students studying at Government Model High School, Sector 12, which shares its building with the Rotary Serai, on Saturday backed out of their claim that their wards were prone to ailments. However, they held a protest outside the PGI Director’s office just as Union Health Minister JP Nadda arrived. They were protesting against the PGI and the Chandigarh Education Department for the latter’s decision to move their children to neighbouring schools. The protesters said they wanted the serai to be moved to another building so that their children could study in their own school.

Nine convocation

The PGI held its first convocation for the National Institute of Nursing Education on Saturday. JP Nadda awarded degrees to over 500 students and eight medals each of silver and bronze to outstanding undergraduate candidates and certificates of distinction to the post-graduate students.