YEARENDER: Focus on clinical excellence, but staff crunch ailed Chandigarh's healthcare system

The year 2025 unfolded as a complex and contrasting chapter for public health in Chandigarh, one that blended clinical excellence and national service with mounting operational stress and uncomfortable questions of governance.

One of the defining health issues of 2025 was the severe shortage of nurses and paramedical staff at the city’s major government hospitals — Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, (GMCH-32), GMCH-32 and Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16 (GMSH-16). Over 800 nursing and paramedical posts were vacant across the three institutions, forcing existing staff to work under intense pressure and raising concerns about patient care and safety. Despite having the largest sanctioned workforce, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) also continues to grapple with manpower gaps, with 247 nursing positions lying vacant against a sanctioned strength of 2,597, while 120 posts remain unfilled in the paramedical cadre out of 856 approved positions. At GMCH-32, the staffing crunch is more acute, particularly among nurses, where 281 posts are vacant out of a total of 1,264 sanctioned positions. The hospital is also short of paramedical personnel, with 86 vacancies against 330 sanctioned posts. GMSH-16, though smaller in scale, has also been affected by shortages, adding to the strain on service delivery across Chandigarh’s public healthcare system. Reports noted that one nurse was often responsible for over 30 patients in PGI wards, far above standards, reflecting systemic stress on the services.

The year reaffirmed PGIMER as one of India’s most trusted public healthcare institutions. Defined by record patient volumes, major clinical advances, national duty deployments and sustained academic recognition, the year highlighted the institute’s ability to adapt and lead amid growing pressures on the public health system.

The commitment was most visible during moments of national crisis. PGIMER organised humanitarian initiatives such as blood donation camps in memory of the Pahalgam victims, while expert medical teams were deployed at ground zero during Operation Sindoor. Emergency medical teams were also rushed to Kishtwar following a devastating cloudburst, ensuring rapid treatment and life-saving interventions.

On the clinical front, PGIMER managed an extraordinary surge in patient numbers. Outpatient footfall crossed 28 lakh, while inpatient admissions exceeded one lakh, cementing its position as one of the busiest public hospitals in the country. Despite the strain, the institute expanded access to advanced treatment through government schemes, particularly the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, under which more than 61,000 patients were treated in 2025 alone.

Leading in innovation

Renal transplants remained a cornerstone of PGIMER’s clinical excellence. With 245 kidney transplants performed in 2025, the institute significantly reduced waiting periods while maintaining national leadership despite limited bed capacity. PGIMER also continued to lead in Simultaneous Pancreas Kidney transplants, offering renewed hope to patients with Type-1 diabetes.

Innovation and research further defined the year. PGIMER hosted the Asia-Pacific’s first Auditory Brainstem Implant workshop, achieved several clinical firsts including leadless pacemaker implantation in an adolescent, and crossed major milestones in neurosurgery and radiosurgery. Supported by strong national and international funding, the institute remained a major research hub shaping evidence-based care.

The year concluded with continued recognition of PGIMER’s excellence. The institute retained its second rank in NIRF 2025 for the eighth consecutive year, while faculty members received prestigious international honours. Departments such as Dermatology and Ophthalmology continued to earn global acclaim, reinforcing PGIMER’s multidisciplinary strength.

CBI probe, strikes cast shadow

Among the unsettling developments of 2025 was the registration of a CBI case in December into an alleged patient welfare grant scam at PGIMER, a move that raised serious questions about internal financial oversight at the premier institute. As reported by The Tribune, the CBI booked multiple serving and former PGIMER employees, along with private individuals, in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for economically vulnerable patients. The case relates to irregularities in the utilisation of patient welfare grants over previous years, with investigators alleging that forged documents and manipulated records were used to siphon off public money.

While PGIMER continued to highlight its extensive outreach to poor patients through government schemes, the CBI action emerged as a stark reminder of governance challenges within large public healthcare institutions.

In 2025, the invocation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) at PGIMER became a major flashpoint in the institute’s labour relations, with contract workers accusing the administration of using legal cover to suppress legitimate demands rather than pursue dialogue. With grievances ranging from regularisation of posts to unpaid bonuses and reinstatement of terminated staff, the workers announced a 24-hour dharna from December 30, warning of intensified agitation.