Chandigarh: GMCH-32 trauma centre hangs fire, patient care hit

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32, Chandigarh, continues to grapple with overcrowding and inadequate facilities as the construction of its much-awaited 260-bed trauma centre is facing yet another delay.

Originally slated for completion by February last year, the project is now expected to see the light of the day by April 2024.

GMCH-32, which serves patients from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, currently operates with only 45 beds in its emergency block. With an influx of over 350 patients every day, doctors often find themselves spread too thin. A lot of patients have to be accommodated on gurneys stationed in open hallways due to the sheer volume of cases.

In 2019, the UT Administration had given its nod to the construction of the much-needed emergency and trauma centre for an outlay of Rs 52.77 lakh. The initial timeline for the completion of the project was 18 months, but this target has been missed by some distance.

The Emergency and Trauma Block is expected to replace the outdated emergency section in Block A of the hospital. Once operational, it promises to bring significant relief to the overwhelmed medical staff and improve patient care for the entire region. The facility will feature clinical labs, cutting-edge diagnostic tools such as X-ray, CT scans and MRI, a well-equipped chemist shop, two emergency operation theatres and a minor operation theatre (OT). It will also include post-operative wards, an isolation ward and extensive parking facilities in twin basements. Plans also incorporate provisions for central air-conditioning, firefighting, and fire detection systems.

Additionally, the facility will offer parking for 59 cars and 144 two-wheelers. A state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU) with 24 beds, a 64-bed ward for stable patients, two isolation wards with 33 beds and a 47-bed ambulatory care ward are part of the ambitious project. It aims to provide space for around 400 attendants at two levels and will house five OTs and a minor OT.

Clinical labs, OTs planned

• The facility will feature clinical labs, cutting-edge diagnostic tools such as X-ray, CT scans and MRI, a well-equipped chemist shop, two emergency operation theatres and a minor operation theatre (OT)
• It will also include post-operative wards, an isolation ward and extensive parking facilities in twin basements. Plans also incorporate provisions for central air-conditioning, firefighting, and fire detection systems