Kataria seeks solutions as PGI grapples with patient overload

Time of India

05-05-2025

Chandigarh: PGI, a premier tertiary care hospital, is grappling with a significant patient overload, with over 8,000 patients visiting its OPDs daily. This influx of patients, not only from Chandigarh but also from neighbouring states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Uttarakhand, has prompted Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator
Gulab Chand Kataria
to seek immediate solutions.
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During his keynote address at the one-year celebration of Project Sarthi at PGI on Monday, the UT administrator addressed the issue. He acknowledged the long waiting time at PGI and emphasised the need to streamline patient flow. "Give some suggestions so that the smaller hospitals can manage the non-referral cases and ease off patient load in PGI," he urged the PGI Director.
He said, "You can send some senior representative on Tuesday for suggestions and we can chart a road map for decongestion of the institute to reduce the long waiting hours here."
The Governor stressed that PGI, being a tertiary care institution, should ideally handle complex and referred cases. However, a large number of patients seeking treatment could be managed effectively at secondary or even primary healthcare levels. He emphasised that by strengthening the capabilities of smaller hospitals, the burden on PGI can be reduced, allowing the institute to focus on critical cases.
The Governor also lauded the efforts of Project Sarthi and its National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers.
"A little support can save time, ease stress, and transform a patient's experience," he stated, highlighting the project's reach to over 400 hospitals. He expressed his vision for expanding such initiatives, stating, "I believe this project has the potential to change healthcare, not just in one place, but nationwide—starting with Punjab and Udaipur, and spreading wherever patients need it most." He also emphasised the importance of starting similar services in other hospitals.
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In a related development, sources indicate that the UT Administrator will soon be visiting civil hospitals in the city to assess the patient services and identify areas for improvement. Governor Kataria also made a special request to the PGI Director, asking for incentives to be given to all the NSS volunteers of the Sarthi project, including a group photograph with him and other senior doctors at PGI, recognising their valuable contributions.
The PGI administration gave certificates to a few NSS volunteers who worked in the Sarthi project. Hailing from the background of a teacher, the UT Administrator said, "If all the children were given the certificates or even called on the stage for a group photograph with me and other senior doctors here, it could leave a lasting impression on their minds." Soon after, the volunteers were called on stage for a group photograph with the volunteers.
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