GMCH prioritises patients’ needs over protocol, inaugurates skywalk

Nagpur: In a big relief for critically-ill patients, the much-awaited Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) skywalk connecting the trauma centre and main hospital building became operational recently. The GMCH administration also announced the start of cement road construction and landscaping work across the campus soon.
GMCH dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye told TOI that there was no formal inauguration of the skywalk as the hospital administration decided to prioritise patients' needs over protocol. "As soon as the skywalk became functional, we started using it for patients. Why make them suffer due to inconvenience just to wait for a formal inauguration? Their safety and timely care come first," said Dr Gajbhiye.
The skywalk was a crucial demand, especially for emergency and trauma patients, who earlier had to be wheeled across open roads, navigating heavy footfall and traffic. The new structure ensures seamless, all-weather, and faster shifting of patients needing immediate care between the trauma centre and the main building.
Dr Gajbhiye also said all internal roads of the sprawling GMCH campus will now be converted into cement-concrete roads. "The entire campus will get cement-concrete roads apart from landscaping and beautification projects. Work will begin in the next few days," he said.
GMCH to get digital push
GMCH medical superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande said the hospital is pushing ahead with digitisation efforts. He added that a cutting-edge face-recognition-based patient registration system, similar to the one at AIIMS Nagpur, is under trial. Maharashtra Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) is calibrating hospital management information system (HMIS) across govt hospitals, and GMCH is set to be among the early beneficiaries. "Our OPDs and casualty units are already using HMIS. Very soon, all wards and departments will be integrated into the system. This will streamline patient data, billing, diagnostics, and administrative processes," said Dr Gawande.
GMCH's digital leap at a glance
* Skywalk operational: Seamless patient transfer between trauma centre and main building
* Cement roads and landscaping: Campus beautification and smoother navigation under way
* HMIS rollout: Full hospital integration in progress to digitise all services
* Real-time patient tracking: Soon to be functional across departments for better coordination