Soon, donate for poor at PGI fee counters 24X7

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 12

Soon, one will be able to donate money to the Poor Patient Assistance Cell round the clock at fee counters of the PGI.

At present, donations could be made from 9 am to 5 pm with medical social workers. However, there are hardly any boards to make prospective donors aware of this.

The premier institute is now going to extend the facility at its fee counters. “We have asked the accounts section to start the facility at the fee counters,” said Medical Superintendent AK Gupta.

The move is expected to boost donation.

Most fee counters, including the ones at Emergency, Advanced Paediatric Centre and Cardiology Department, run round the clock at the PGI. So, people would be able to donate 24X7.

Ramesh, a local resident, said, “I was at the Emergency. On seeing the plight of the patients there, I wished I could deposit some money for poor patients. I walked to Nehru Hospital but the staff concerned was not present at the donation cell. Later, I left and could not do it.”

Online donation began in September last year

The online donation for the Poor Patient Welfare Fund began on September 15 last year and has received about Rs 32.56 lakh till date. The donation is eligible for deduction under sub clause iii (f) of Section 80G (2) of the Income Tax Act. The fund is used to help patients who are unable to afford treatment. Out of the total amount received this fiscal, Rs 11 lakh is mostly of penalties recovered through the High Court, said Medical Superintendent AK Gupta.