Chandigarh: Long wait for GMCH trauma centre likely to end in June

The Chandigarh engineering department has handed over the 283-bed centre, whose construction began in August 2020, to GMCH, Sector 32

In the works since August 2020, the 283-bed emergency-cum-trauma centre at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, is expected to become operational by June, confirmed director-principal Dr Ashok Attri.

Once complete, the centre is expected to significantly ease the pressure on PGIMER, currently the only government facility offering trauma care in Chandigarh. (Keshav Singh/HT)

“We have received the takeover letter from the UT engineering department and formed a committee for inspecting the newly constructed building. We are hopeful of starting the centre by next month,” said Dr Attri.

The procurement of beds and furniture has been done by the hospital administration. The committee formed for the inspection of the newly constructed building, chaired by GMCH medical superintendent GP Thami, is looking after its nitty-gritties.

The construction work and the installation of air conditioning system has also been completed. However, the cleaning and sanitisation work is still going on, with issues raised by the inspection committee getting resolved.

UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “We have sent the inventory list to GMCH-32 as many costly equipment are kept in the building. The construction work has been completed from our end. We are now looking after the finishing work along with the hospital administration.”

Construction of the state-of-the-art facility had begun in August 2020, with completion estimated by February 2022 (18 months). But ever since, the deadline had got extended multiple times—first due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and then owing to environmental clearance delays and sluggish construction progress.

Currently, the emergency wing of the hospital is equipped with 45 beds, buckling under the pressure of nearly 400 emergency cases daily. In the absence of adequate beds, patients continue to be treated on trolleys.

The project was envisioned to take the load off PGIMER, which is currently the only trauma care facility in the city providing critical care to victims of road accidents, natural or man-made disasters and other emergencies.

Once complete, the centre is expected to significantly ease this pressure, with 40 ventilator beds, operation theatres, ICU, isolation and ambulatory care wards, CT scan and MRI services.