In year of protests, PGI led in Ayushman Yojana

It was a rollercoaster ride for city hospitals, including the PGIMER, in 2024 as the health facilities grappled with persistent staff and infrastructure shortages, protests and patient overload.

The year, however, also brought out some positives — be it in medical advancements, rise in organ and body donation or initiatives like Project Sarathi to combat shortage of manpower. The PGI provided treatment to 32,000 Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries with package amount over Rs 130 crore, ensuring the highest number of patients in Union Territories receiving essential medical treatments.

City’s health infrastructure remains a beacon of hope not just for residents, but for people from adjoining cities and neighbouring states.

Protesting times 

Protesting employees gave a tough time to the PGI administration and patients as elective services were halted and OPDs weren’t operational for regular timings. Outsourced workers complained about their pending arrears in the first half of the year.

While some of them, namely security staff, sanitation attendants and kitchen bearers were paid their dues, the remaining hospital attendants went on strike in October. In between, they staged a protest demanding job regularisation and enforcement of ‘equal work, equal pay’ rule in PGIMER.

After the rape of a resident doctor in Kolkata shook the nation, tremors were also felt in Chandigarh.

In August, resident doctors of three hospitals — PGI, GMCH-32 and GMSH-16 — went on strike to press for justice. Doctors treated patients in the open during the protest.

Sanctioned projects

Apart from establishment of 150-bed Critical Core Block at PGI under PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), foundation stone was laid for projects in February:

A 300-bed Satellite Centre at Sangrur.

300-bed Advanced Neurosciences Centre and Advanced Mother and Child Centre at PGI.

300-bed Satellite Centre at Una. booths.

100-bed Satellite Centre at Ferozepur.

Pioneering healthcare

In financial year 2023-24, the PGI provided treatment to 32,000 Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries with package amount over Rs 130 crore, ensuring the highest number of patients in Union Territories receiving essential medical treatments. Kidney transplants, previously unattainable for marginalised patients, have become accessible under Ayushman Bharat scheme, with PGIMER achieving 111 renal transplants, one of the highest figures at national level.

One for the volunteers

In the times of strike, many NGOs and volunteers came forward to offer services at PGI. Proposed by Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration), PGI launched ‘Project Sarathi’ in May, under which the National Service Scheme (NSS) deployed its volunteers who played a crucial role in managing patient flow at the hospital.

With an annual influx of 30 lakh patients, PGI’s manpower often falls short in managing the rush.

Patient overload

With the current daily footfall of about 10,000 patients, PGI faces continuous strain on its resources — both human and infrastructural. A planned five-storey, 500-bed hospital and a 500-bed trauma centre in Sarangpur, despite receiving several approvals from the ministry, remains a distant dream.

The proposed hospital in Sarangpur campus is attached with an MBBS college, which PGI has proposed would accommodate about 100 students per year.

A lot depends on expediting the project as at present only GMCH-32 offers MBBS course in the city. Also, PGI’s multi-storey parking opposite New OPD is taking longer than it should to come up.

New posts created

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave nod to the creation of 323 posts of nursing cadre in addition to the existing 774 posts at the GMCH-32. It was a long-standing demand of the hospital. The Health Ministry approved four faculty positions for the recently inaugurated Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (TBRD) Department. Also, there’s a plan to start MD course in this department.

For the people

To impart quality and specialised care to paediatric patients, a 32-bed Advanced Paediatrics Centre (APC) at Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 (GMSH-16) was inaugurated in January.

In March, PGI launched its state-of-the-art Endocrine and Breast Surgery clinic at Department of General Surgery.

Going ethnic way

In October, for the 38th convocation of PGI graduates from 2022 and 2023 batches, 1,547 students ditched traditional robes and received degrees in ethnic wear for the first time in the history of the institute.