Already breathless, the patient load at the emergency services of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, has witnessed an increase of around 10% in the past one year.
According to the annual report - January 2011 to December 2011- prepared by the department of the central registration (medical record) of the PGI, the patient attendance in the emergency ward of the hospital has increased by around 10% in one year. The increase has led to further delay in surgeries.
In 2010, 52,298 patients came for treatment in the emergency. However, the number increased to 56,755 in 2011. Similarly, the number of admissions to the emergency ward also witnessed an increase - from 32,334 to 33,336.
Besides, the emergency gross death rate also saw a rise from 15.4 per day in 2010 to 16.4 in 2011. However, the average number of patients admitted daily to the emergency increased from 146 to 226, which was mainly due to the increase in the number of beds.
When it comes to the specialty-wise break-up of average inpatient rate in the emergency, the most burdened department is gastroenterology. On an average, as many as 22.6 patients having gastro problems come to the emergency ward everyday, followed by endocrinology 22, neurosurgery 15.4, plastic surgery 15.2, neurology 12.8, general surgery 10.1, orthopaedics 10, urology 8.6, nephrology 7.2 and internal medicine six.
{{/usCountry}}When it comes to the specialty-wise break-up of average inpatient rate in the emergency, the most burdened department is gastroenterology. On an average, as many as 22.6 patients having gastro problems come to the emergency ward everyday, followed by endocrinology 22, neurosurgery 15.4, plastic surgery 15.2, neurology 12.8, general surgery 10.1, orthopaedics 10, urology 8.6, nephrology 7.2 and internal medicine six.
{{/usCountry}}A total of 11,320 surgeries, including 10,000 major surgeries, were performed in the emergency ward of the hospital in 2011. It makes around 10% of the total surgeries performed in the hospital (see box).
As far as the age group of patients is concerned, maximum number of patients aged between 14 and 25.
Going by the state-wise break-up, maximum number of patients, who availed the emergency services, came from Punjab - 14,644. It was followed by Haryana with 9,605 and Chandigarh with 9,172 patients.
Significantly, PGI directors have many a time appealed to the neighbouring states to strengthen their healthcare infrastructure so that the institute could be saved from the overburden. In December, union health secretary PK Pradhan also had a meeting with the chief secretaries of both Punjab and Haryana to reduce the pressure on the PGI.