62 years of healing: PGI geared up for landmark Institute Foundation Day
The institute will host Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Health Research and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research, as the chief guest, and he will deliver the keynote address, 'Creating more physicians, scientists and innovators in leading medical institutes'.
A distinguished physician-scientist specialising in paediatrics and public health, Dr Bahl has been a leading figure in maternal and child health research for over 30 years. His work has supported multi-country research in Asia and Africa, and has strengthened research capacity across more than 50 institutions worldwide.
Joining him as the guest of honour is Dr D Behera, Professor Emeritus at PGIM and president of the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. With over 40 years of experience, Dr Behera is a renowned respiratory specialist, former dean at PGIMER, and a leader in lung cancer research. Founded in 1961 with the concurrence of the Planning Commission, PGIMER commenced operations in 1962 and was formally inaugurated on July 7, 1963, by the then prime minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru. Recognised as an institute of national importance in 1967, PGIMER Chandigarh has been at the forefront of medical innovation and patient care, contributing to national health initiatives under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Spanning an expansive area of 277 acres, the institute is a hub of medical excellence with a dedicated workforce of 11,847 employees, including 728 esteemed faculty members and around 1,300 academic resident doctors across 47 specialised departments and 10 centres of excellence.
The institute has a capacity of 2,233 beds, including 207 ICU beds and 73 operating theatres, facilitating comprehensive healthcare services. Annually, PGI caters to approximately 10,000 outpatient visits daily, totalling around three million visits, with 200,000 admissions for both long-term and day-care treatments, alongside 80,000 surgeries encompassing major and minor procedures. The paediatric emergency services handle about 10,000 cases annually, supported by a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) admitting 800 patients per year.
The institute offers services across 160 specialities and super-specialities, supported by numerous laboratories and advanced diagnostic facilities. Its commitment to continuously upgrading technology is reflected in the availability of cutting-edge equipment such as a 384-slice dual-source CT scan, advanced PET and CT facilities, metabolic and genetic laboratories, vascular intervention labs, and MRI machines.
Patient care remains the institute's top priority, guided by the motto, 'Service with Sacrifice.' Its commitment to accessible healthcare is reflected in its extensive outreach through government schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, benefiting over 1.55 lakh beneficiaries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Indian Express
PGI launches Sarathi feedback app to monitor patient experience of volunteer assistance
In a move to further enhance patient support services, the PGIMER's flagship volunteer initiative, 'Project Sarathi,' has now been expanded beyond the National Service Scheme (NSS) framework to welcome all interested student volunteers, encouraging broader community participation in patient care. In another key development, the institute has launched a dedicated mobile application for collecting patient feedback. The Sarathi feedback app will now be made available to each volunteer, who will gather real-time feedback from patients and attendants after offering them assistance. This data will enable the administration to make informed decisions and continually improve the quality of services. Sharing his thoughts on the application, Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, stated: 'Project Sarathi has been a heartening example of how structured community involvement can transform hospital services. The expansion of volunteer participation and the launch of the feedback app is another step in our commitment to patient-centred care and continuous improvement'. Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration), PGIMER, said that the decision to expand beyond the NSS was taken considering the consistently positive response received through daily interactions among Sarathi volunteers, hospital staff, and patients. 'Recognising the immense value that volunteers bring in simplifying the patient journey at PGIMER, the institute is now opening the doors for students from all academic backgrounds and institutions to be part of this compassionate initiative,' Rai added. 'Project Sarathi, since its inception, has played a vital role in assisting patients and their families in navigating the large and often complex PGI system. Volunteers serve as a vital link, particularly for those from rural or underserved backgrounds, by offering clear guidance, emotional reassurance, and human connection during stressful times,' he further said. Interested student volunteers eager to contribute to this cause can send their requests and details via email to ddapgi@ This new structure aims to cultivate a stronger, more inclusive team of young change makers dedicated to patient welfare. 'The updated feedback app will enhance communication, ensuring transparency and responsiveness. The PGIMER reaffirms its commitment to participatory healthcare and responsive governance, driven by student initiative and innovative technology,' Rai concluded.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
To make hospital visits smoother, PGI to launch smart app for crowd management and hospital navigation
Vivek Lal, director, PGIMER, has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to redefine patient experience and hospital functioning, with the highlight being the announcement of a smart mobile application developed in collaboration with C-DAC Noida. The upcoming app will integrate real-time indoor mapping, QR code-based patient identification, and crowd management features to streamline hospital navigation and reduce wait times. 'This app will transform how we serve our patients and manage hospital systems. It is designed to make hospital visits smoother, more efficient, and patient-friendly,' stated Lal. He also shared significant progress on the institute's digital transformation journey, including the complete digitisation of the Hospital Information System, which now handles processes such as indenting and medicine procurement under schemes like Ayushman Bharat entirely online, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency. To ease payment systems, the effort is to introduce scan and share bill payments and online payments. The PGI director elaborated on the institute's robust infrastructure pipeline, led by the Rs-987 crore Sarangpur project that will house a new 100-seat medical college, modern OPDs for 16,000 patients, and a 200-bed emergency block. Additional developments include an all-weather swimming pool for staff and students, a trolley way to streamline patient transfers between high-traffic blocks, and a doctors' cafeteria soon to open on the fourth floor of A Block. 'When opened in July 1987, it had 10 seats and till now that has not changed, we are now going to have a new cafeteria with many amenities,' he added. Lal emphasised that the PGIMER is also addressing rising patient loads, especially in emergency and trauma care, by securing approval to recruit 300 ex-servicemen through outsourcing over the next four to five months to strengthen campus security. Additionally, 82 new faculty members have been recruited strictly as per DoPT norms, including EWS reservation, reinforcing the institute's commitment to transparency and meritocracy. The director spotlighted Project Sarathi — PGIMER's flagship NSS student-led patient navigation initiative. Now scaled across 34 states with over 6,400 active volunteers, the Sarathi based model has been green lit for expansion to 1,467 hospitals nationwide under reaffirming PGIMER's role in mobilizing youth for social commitment through compassionate care. The institute's focus on affordable healthcare also continues, with nine AMRIT stores accounting for 85 per cent of all medicine sales on campus, and a new AMRIT Pharmacy facility set to open near the Emergency Block to ensure uninterrupted access to subsidised medicines under Ayushman Bharat and PMJAY. The director further informed that the institute is set to operationalise the OPD of the upcoming Advanced Neurosciences Centre within three months, with equipment procurement under review. There was a proposal to procure an AI-enabled MRI machine for the centre, but due to budget constraints, the institute was told by the SFC to revisit the cost. 'The machines for the upcoming Mother and Child Centre have already been procured, and only 8 per cent of the work is now remaining, and the centre should be operational by early next year,' Lal added. Meanwhile, the construction of the Sarangpur satellite centre is progressing steadily, with completion expected in about three years. He also spoke about the Sangrur Satellite Centre of PGIMER, which now offers dialysis, cancer, gynaecology and gall bladder surgeries, knee replacements, with a designated bus stop here to help patients access the hospital. The director also lauded the medical team from the institute that included, doctors, nurses, paramedics and transport staff, for their exemplary courage in responding to the Jammu & Kashmir humanitarian crisis during Operation Sindoor. 'Every initiative, whether digital, structural, or social, is driven by a singular goal: to ease suffering, deliver equitable, high-quality care, and prepare our institution for the future, all while keeping the patient at the centre of everything we do,' Lal said.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Stress on embracing life saving ECMO technology
Vijayawada: A specialist doctor and NRI Dr Sunil Pooboni attended an awareness programme conducted at the NTR University of Health Sciences on Monday on ECMO – a life-saving technology for heart and lung failure and explained how ECMO is important to save lives. The online awareness programme was organised under the guidance of Vice-Chancellor Dr P Chandrasekhar and the supervision of Registrar Dr V Radhika Reddy. For the first time in Andhra Pradesh, the programme was conducted by Dr Sunil Pooboni, who recently returned from abroad. It was live-streamed from the university to all medical colleges across the state. Speaking on the occasion, Pooboni stressed the importance of exploring collaborations with the Government of India and expanding life-saving Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in Andhra Pradesh. He explained that ECMO is a critical life-support technology used when lungs or heart fail and typically used when ventilator support fails, especially after severe lung conditions such as acute pneumonia. He further said after a heart attack, when the heart becomes too weak to circulate enough blood, ECMO provides temporary support until recovery. Dr Sunil said this technique is widely used in Western countries and is being implemented in some corporate hospitals in India. He said setting up an ECMO unit requires adequate infrastructure, trained doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, as it functions like a heart-lung bypass, it can be crucial to saving lives. He said introducing training facilities and infrastructure in government hospitals can help significantly reduce costs. Dr Sunil said survival rate is up to 60 per cent in respiratory cases and around 50 percent in cardiac cases and added that ECMO can be used across all age groups. He underlined the need to expand the ECMO in the state to save lives and render assistance in emergency cases. Principals and Superintendents of all medical colleges, Heads of Departments, UG and PG medical student sand others attended the webinar training class.
