Four years on, PGI to host convocation tomorrow

Chandigarh, October 31

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is set to host its 36th annual convocation. The academic extravaganza is scheduled for November 2 at the PGIMER.

In a press briefing, Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, would grace the occasion as the chief guest, while Prof KK Talwar, a Padma Bhushan awardee and the former PGIMER Director, would be the guest of honour.

The convocation at the PGIMER is a momentous occasion as it would be held after a four-year hiatus due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It would bring together 218 graduates from various medical disciplines, who would be awarded medals for their academic excellence. Besides, 1,775 graduates would receive their degrees, marking their successful completion of rigorous training and education in various medical disciplines, including MD/MS, DM/MCh and PhD courses.

Prof Lal said the PGIMER plays a significant role in providing health coverage to disadvantaged populations through the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Under the scheme, the PGIMER had already served over 90,000 patients, making it the highest number of beneficiaries among public sector hospitals in India.

Prof Lal said the PGIMER would surpass the count of 100,000 beneficiaries, who would avail benefits of the scheme, in the next two months. One of the remarkable achievements of the PGIMER is its prolific organ transplant programme in which 4,869 renal transplant surgeries have been performed till date.

Notably, in 2023, 278 renal transplant surgeries were performed surpassing the figures from the previous year. The institute has also successfully initiated living-donor liver transplants. Now, the waiting time for transplants has reduced from 12 to 14 months to just two months.

In the field of research, the PGIMER has gained recognition after being rated number one health institution in India by the prestigious Clarivate, a UK-based agency, for its impact factor in journals.

The institute received significant funding for extramural and intramural research projects amounting to approximately Rs 62 crore and Rs 2 crore, respectively. The Indian Council of Medical Research has sanctioned 50 research projects to the PGIMER faculty, eight per cent of the total projects at the national level.

Carpooling to reduce traffic on campus

It is estimated that the event would host over 2,500 people. The institute authorities have appealed to residents of the PGIMER campus and hostels to walk to their duty areas and refrain from bringing vehicles with an exception to physically challenged individuals. Those residing outside campus have been advised to opt for carpooling, use public transport or hire cabs for commuting to the event.