Chandigarh’s PGIMER sees 75% dip in surgeries amid pandemic

On an average, the institute from May to mid-October conducted 5,000 surgeries a month, down from monthly 21,500 in past two years

In another example of how routine health services have been impacted due to Covid-19, the number of various surgeries conducted at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, which is the region’s top tertiary care hospital, recorded a dip of around 75% during the pandemic.

The institute from May to mid-October has conducted 27,722 surgeries, which roughly amount to 5,000 per month. However, in the last two years, the number of surgeries conducted per month averaged around 21,500.

Emphasising that non-Covid services should not be hampered, institute’s former director Dr Yogesh Chawla said: “Since Covid-19 reports are important now, the stress should also be on developing testing methods that give prompt results and are totally reliable, so that routine services are not denied or postponed.”.

The institute has recently stated that restoring all services remains a priority, but it is still evaluating the situation.

Dr Ashok Kumar, the official spokesperson, said: “The emergency services have never been stopped and a large number of patients has been treated. When regular services are restored to the fullest, the backlog of scheduled surgeries will be cleared by all departments.”