Prof Jagat Ram retires as PGI Director

Chandigarh, October 30

An illustrious inning spanning over 42 years has come to an end for Prof Jagat Ram, who retired as the PGI Director after serving the institute for four years and seven months on the top post and 38 years in various other capacities. As its Director, the professor contributed immensely to the institute of national reckoning taking it to new heights, be it in patient care, research or teaching.

This is an institute of national importance, and there is a certain depth of dedication required to be here. So, one must not compromise on ethics at all. Prof Jagat Ram

Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, Deputy Director (Administration), PGI, said, “Prof Jagat Ram maintained a cordial and constructive relationship with senior administrators, heads of departments, faculty and other officials of the institute.”

The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic displayed how under the leadership of Prof Jagat Ram, the PGI rose to the occasion and demonstrated its extraordinary capacity for hard work, team spirit and mentorship for this part of the country as teams from different specialties worked in tandem to face the human catastrophe.

Besides, the professor is also credited with accomplishing many milestones during his headship as under the NIRF rankings, the PGI was adjudged the second-best medical institution in the country for four years successively. In cadaveric organ donation, the institute has been ranked the ‘Best Hospital’ for the past four years. As far as cleanliness is concerned, the PGI is among the best and Kayakalp awards for the institute during his tenure validated the same. Other commendable initiatives undertaken during his sojourn with the PGI as its director included a new screening OPD in Sarangpur to help manage the mammoth rush of 3 million patients annually. Besides, a 500-bed trauma centre as well as an oncology centre with all kind of services, including medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy and rehabilitation, is being developed.

To provide cost-effective tertiary care services, two more centres, Neurosciences Centre and a ‘mother and child’ care 300-bed centre are being built on the campus.

As he bid adieu, Prof Jagat Ram expressed his deep gratitude to the PGI for his professional as well as personal growth. He said, “This is an institute of national importance, and there is a certain depth of dedication required to be here. So, one must not compromise on ethics at all.”

“Also, teamwork is extremely important. Individual achievement does not make much sense. Only then, the institute excels,” he signed off. — TNS

Prof Surjit Singh officiating head

Prof Surjit Singh, Head, Department of Paediatrics, has been given the officiating charge of the post of the Director, PGI.