Dedicated Cardiac Emergency to become operational at PGI from March 1

In a significant boost to emergency cardiac care, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) will operationalise a long-awaited Dedicated Cardiac Emergency facility from March 1.

The move addresses a longstanding gap since the establishment of the Advanced Cardiac Centre in 2009. Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, said managing acute cardiac cases within the general emergency system of a high-volume tertiary care institute had posed increasing challenges over the years.

Currently, cardiac emergencies are handled through the main Emergency wing, which caters to a heavy influx of trauma, medical and surgical cases from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. Given the substantial daily footfall, time-sensitive cardiac patients often face delays within an overcrowded system.

Prof Lal said, “Cardiovascular emergencies require swift intervention, where every minute can be critical. The new facility has been developed through coordinated efforts of the Departments of Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia, Hospital Administration and Nursing Services.”

He added that the initiative was expected to ease congestion in the main Emergency wing and streamline patient flow, strengthening PGIMER’s commitment to timely and specialised life-saving care.