Resumption of OPD services: Chandigarh hospitals waiting for PGIMER to take the lead

For now, the premier health institute has no plans to resume operations, says PGIMER director

The UT health department is waiting to follow the lead of centrally funded Post graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to reopen OPDs at city’s government hospitals. However, the premier institute has no plans to resume operations for now.

OPD operations at PGIMER and five government hospitals in Chandigarh were suspended on March 19 in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. (HT File Photo)

The OPD services at PGIMER, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, and other allied hospitals were suspended on March 19 as the OPDs are overcrowded and norms like social distancing could not be followed to curtail the spread of coronavirus disease.

Only emergency wings continued to remain open at the three medical institutes and three civil hospitals in Manimajra, Sector 45 and Sector 22.

Chandigarh is a medical hub for the north Indian states where patients from as far as Jammu and Kashmir and even parts of Uttar Pradesh reach for treatment.

UT health secretary Arun Gupta said they had not taken a decision on opening services at GMSH-16 and GMCH-32. “We will consider it after PGIMER opens. Besides, hospitals should be able to relieve some staff from Covid-19 duties and afford some crowd. Meanwhile, both hospitals are offering telemedicine facility,” he said.

“We are currently working on strengthening the teleconsultation services and thus cannot give any exact date and time for reopening the OPDs,” said Dr Jagat Ram, director, PGIMER.