Construction of the new 250-bedded hospital in progress at PGIMER. (Express photo by Sahil Walia)
Expressing concern over the patient rush in Chandigarh hospitals from the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 1 issued a notice to the Punjab government after it was informed that most of the patients from Zirakpur are referred to the UT hospitals as the town has only a single primary health centre.
Given the judicial monitoring of the health facilities in Chandigarh, Punjab may soon have to upgrade its facilities in the areas falling in the vicinity of Chandigarh. The state government is expected to provide its response to the High Court on July 10 regarding its plans to upgrade the facilities in adjoining areas of Chandigarh like Zirakpur and Mohali.
The High Court had begun its monitoring of the state of health infrastructure in the government hospitals in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh in December last year during the hearing of a bunch of matters related to hospitals.
However, the case has focused majorly on the upgradation of facilities in GMCH-32 and GMSH-16. The court had taken a strong note of the high referrals to PGIMER.
However, the Chandigarh Administration in May told the High Court that while many of its projects were under construction but they may be of little help given the rush from Punjab, Haryana and other north Indian states. Sixty per cent of the 10,000 patients, who attended the GMCH-32 emergency department, were from outside Chandigarh, the High Court was told.
“Due to the enormous population growth in satellite towns of Panchkula, Mohali and Zirakpur, there is a lot of pressure on our state-run healthcare facilities,” the UT health department had told the High Court while requesting it to also direct Punjab and Haryana to upgrade their facilities.
While the Punjab government has been now issued a notice by the High Court regarding its facilities, the UT Administration has also been put under a deadline to complete its projects.
Project Timeline
According to the information submitted by the UT Administration in the High Court, the construction of the 193-bedded Trauma and Emergency Block at GMCH-32 will be completed within a period of one year by August 2019.
The Intensive Care Unit of the GMSH-16, comprising six beds, will be ready by next month. The construction of the 100-bedded government hospital in Sector 48 will be completed within next six months. The hospital will cater to the needs of southern sectors and neighbouring states.
Fifty-bedded hospital at Maloya will be completed by August 2019.
Planned projects by PGIMER
250-bed hospital at PGIMER: This hospital will partly help reduce the rush at the Nehru hospital as four departments will be shifted here from the Nehru building. Deadline: December this year.
Advanced Mother and Child Centre: With 300 beds, this centre would come up at Rs 485 crore and which would help achieve a quantum jump in obstetric and neonatal tertiary care. According to PGI, it will establish new facilities like HDU, ICU, fetal medicine unit, robotic surgery, NICU with level 4 services, human milk bank, advanced infertility services, and reproductive endocrinology. “This state-of-the-art advanced centre would be the first of its kind in the northern region. The centre would also enhance the training of health professionals by acting as an advanced simulation and skill-training centre. It would also bring up world-class advanced research facilities. Importantly, the proposed centre would make a substantial contribution towards reduction of maternal, prenatal and neonatal mortality in the region,” the PGI said. Deadline: 39 months from the date of starting of construction work.
Advanced Neurosciences Centre: Coming up at a cost of Rs 495.31 crore, PGI says this 300-bed centre would help in creating state-of-the-art facilities to offer timely as well as the best treatment for neurological and neurosciences disorders. “It will provide increased bed strength, number of OTs, ICUs and ventilators and affordable health care. This centre would provide additional facilities like brain mapping, invasive neurophysiological techniques and advanced imaging technology. The centre would act as a training centre for neuro specialists from across the country,” the PGI officials said. Deadline: 39 months from the date of starting of construction work.
Comprehensive Geriatric Care and Rehabilitation Centre: The institute has proposed to start a 300-bed geriatric hospital and rehabilitation centre that would provide comprehensive care to the elderly patients for their medical needs and related problems. This will include acute medical care in hospital, and long-term chronic medical care and rehabilitation through outdoor patient department facilities and home visits by social workers.
In 2017, PGIMER announced setting up a new Out Patient Department (OPD), trauma centre, new learning centre and a full-fledged cancer centre at Sarangpur. The four facilities are expected to come up at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore. Deadline: not fixed.
Planned projects by GMCH-32
300-bedded trauma centre: The Chandigarh Administration has already allotted land for setting up the centre in 2007. The project would cost Rs 700 crore, which would be provided in a phased manner. The trauma centre will be constructed as a state-of-the-art facility with international standards for providing under one roof comprehensive integrated surgical, rehabilitative, OPD care besides carrying out research activities. There will be 10 operation theatres to perform complex surgeries on trauma patients. Deadline: not fixed.
193-bed emergency block: GMCH is planning to extend the existing emergency by setting up 193-bedded emergency block at the hospital. The project, officials said, is aimed at lessening the rush at the emergency, which records a huge rush of patients round the clock. The GMCH emergency has departments like medicine, orthopaedics and general surgery working in 54-bed capacity. The emergency, however, remains occupied with around 400 patients mostly. Deadline: August 2019.