PGIMER plans critical care block, geriatric centre in new building
Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, February 25
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, is set to receive a boost in infrastructure with the proposed establishment of a geriatric centre and a critical care block in the new building. The proposal has been sent to the UT Administration for approval.
About the centre
The geriatric centre will offer various clinical disciplines and act as a day-care centre for investigation, rehabilitation, respite care, dementia care and inpatient care for intensive care, diagnostic and therapeutic services.
In March 2019, the Union government had approved a 250-bed Geriatric Care and Rehabilitation Centre at the PGI with a budget of Rs 469 crore. The centre will cater to elderly patients with a special focus on care for 75+ population. The geriatric centre will offer various clinical disciplines and act as a day-care centre for investigation, rehabilitation, respite care, dementia care and inpatient care for intensive care, diagnostic and therapeutic services. The project is pegged at Rs 233 crore.
There was a need for an exclusive geriatric centre due to the increasing burden of morbidity in old age. Non-communicable diseases such as lifestyle-related and degenerative diseases are extremely common in older people, regardless of socio-economic status. Disabilities also affect functionality in old age, compromising the ability to pursue activities of daily living.
Furthermore, the centre will also introduce DM and MD courses in geriatrics to produce specialist doctors, giving a significant push to academics in this field
The Union Health Ministry has approved a 150-bedded critical care block at the PGI with a budget of Rs 120 crore. Out of this, Rs 20 crore has already been sanctioned for the project. The critical care building at the PGI is proposed under the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, which aims at preparing the country’s health infrastructure to face future pandemics such as Covid-19.
The need for an exclusive critical care block was felt during the Covid-19 pandemic when healthcare infrastructure got overburdened. The Centre had asked tertiary care hospitals interested in setting up a critical care block, and the PGI had consented to build one. The total cost of the critical care block project is Rs 208 crore, which will be funded by the Centre.
The establishment of the geriatric centre and critical care block will strengthen the PGIMER’s infrastructure and enable it to better serve the needs of elderly and critically ill patients. The proposed projects are expected to be a significant boost to healthcare and academics in the region.
