PGI retracts, says not told to compare Bapu Dham with Dharavi in Mumbai

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 21

A day after a team of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) doctors submitted the field visit report to UT Administrator in which there was a comparison between Mumbai’s Dharavi and Bapu Dham Colony of Chandigarh, the institute retracted by issuing an official statement on Wednesday.

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) clarified that the administration has not asked it to carry out any survey of comparing the parameters between slum dwellers of Dharavi in Mumbai and Bapu Dham Colony in Chandigarh.

“We cannot compare different colonies of different magnitude without comparing the ultimate outcome of patients coming out of these,” the PGIMER said in a statement.

UT Administrator had asked PGIMER to send a Public Health team to visit Bapu Dham and make specific recommendations for improving field operations. A four-member team of experts from the PGI was formed to analyse the ground situation and make recommendations to stop the further spread of Covid-19 infection in the colony.

The recommendations made by the institute included oxygen saturation tests of the residents, mapping of high- risk population and special practices for elderly.

PGI Director Dr Jagat Ram had constituted the team of Prof JS Thakur, chairman, Covid-19 Prevention and IEC Committee, Dr Ashish Bhalla, Dr RK Ratho and Dr Ishani Bora.