After skipping many deadlines, the 283-bed emergency-cum-trauma centre at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, to finally start operating on Saturday. Built at a cost of ₹52.77 crore, the trauma centre will be a second centre in Chandigarh after Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to offer critical care to patients requiring immediate care.
While inaugurating the centre, Punjab governor and UT administrator, Gulab Chand Kataria, called the facility a need of the hour considering the increasing number of patients at the hospital’s emergency. Kataria said the government had given the required budget to the project on priority basis. However, he said, it took some time to complete the construction. “The trauma centre will ease the load on PGIMER as well,” Kataria added. The old emergency block in GMCH-32 was equipped with 45 beds, whereas the daily rush amounted to 350-400 patients.
The newly constructed emergency and trauma block, approved in 2019, comprises two basements and three upper storeys. The centre has state-of-the-art triage area, fully equipped operation theatres, intensive care units, and dedicated surgical and medical wards. It is supported by advanced diagnostic facilities including X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, and comprehensive blood investigation services.
The patients arriving for the treatment will first be stablised at the state-of-the-art triage facility available at the ground floor of the centre and then they will be referred to their specialty wards. The GMCH-32 official said that in case of disaster borne patients, the triage system will colour code the patient into red, green and yellow depending on the severity of the issue. The official added that the triage system will help in optimal use of manpower and will give priority to critical injured patients.
{{/usCountry}}The patients arriving for the treatment will first be stablised at the state-of-the-art triage facility available at the ground floor of the centre and then they will be referred to their specialty wards. The GMCH-32 official said that in case of disaster borne patients, the triage system will colour code the patient into red, green and yellow depending on the severity of the issue. The official added that the triage system will help in optimal use of manpower and will give priority to critical injured patients.
{{/usCountry}}The first floor of the centre have state of the art machinery in modular OTs and ICUs of medicine, pediatrics, orthopaedics and general surgery specialities on upper floor in addition to anaesthesia. Earlier, the hospital emergency did not had stabelising area where patient could be assessed for its severity before sending him/her to the concerned ward.
The infrastructure is designed to improve emergency care by reducing delays, disabilities, and mortality among critically ill and trauma patients. The governor mentioned that in the coming two months all the dispensaries in the city will be fully equipped so that patients don’t have to rush to hospitals for minor health checkups.