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Chandigarh: Urology services resume at GMCH-32 after three months
According to orders issued this month, outpatient department (OPD), in the designated area of urology OPD, 5th floor, Block-B, was alloted to Dr Mahesh Chandra; he will also operate upon urology patients in the designated operation theatre in consultation with the head of anesthesia department
After a suspension that lasted over three months, urology services at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, resumed on Tuesday. The services were temporarily stopped after an associate professor resigned in January 2024.
According to orders issued this month, outpatient department (OPD), in the designated area of urology OPD, 5th floor, Block-B, was alloted to Dr Mahesh Chandra. He will also operate upon urology patients in the designated operation theatre in consultation with the head of anesthesia department.
Dr Chandra started attending to patients on Tuesday and saw 60 patients on the first day.
The OPD will be available on Tuesdays & Thursdays while surgeries will be done on Fridays.
The department, equipped with latest technology and infrastructure, was non-functional for over three months due to administrative issues.
As services were unavailable, patients were referred to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and private hospitals.
New patients and those returning for follow-up appointments were being consulted by doctors from the general surgery department as well.
Both GMCH-32 and PGIMER are the only two government hospitals in Chandigarh offering urology services as of now.
With the absence of doctors, there is a long waiting list for patients requiring surgery. Earlier, the urology OPD operated two days a week, with surgeries scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays. To accommodate the growing patient load, the department received additional operating tables and new machinery.
On an average, the urology department receives 70 to 80 patients daily, seeking consultation for issues such as kidney stones, prostate conditions, and cancer.
The specialised department was established in 2017. Before that, the general surgery department provided consultations to patients.
Director Principal Dr AK Attri said, “We have issued orders allowing Dr Mahesh to conduct his OPD for two days a week and perform surgeries in the operation theater.”
