E-Paper
PGI director asks to speed up work on satellite centre
Construction work of the Sangrur centre is likely to be completed by November and the centre will be fully functional in early 2023
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) director Dr Vivek Lal reviewed the functioning and construction status of the institute’s Satellite Centre at Sangrur on Saturday, and asked officials to avoid any further delay in completion of the project.
Dr Lal was accompanied by a high-level team, including Dr GD Puri, dean, academics; Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, deputy director, administration; Dr Vipin Koushal, medical superintendent; Kumar Abhay, financial adviser; and other members of the computer section and engineering wing of PGIMER.
The director, along with the accompanying team, took rounds of all buildings, including the OPD block, hospital block, director house, residential units and hostel. The team also visited the temporary OPD and interacted with doctors, paramedics and patients about the facilities being provided.
After the inspection, the director instructed the representatives of the executing agency to award the tenders expeditiously and complete all milestones as per the stipulated timelines.
₹449-crore project
In October 2013, the then UPA government had laid the foundation stone of the 300-bed PGIMER Satellite Centre at Sangrur, promising specialised medical services to Malwa residents. The project, worth ₹449 crore, is coming up on 25 acres, provided by the Punjab government to the PGIMER.
Inaugurated in 2016, the hospital OPD is already offering services under various specialties, including internal medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopaedics, dermatology and dental.
Diagnostic facilities of X-ray and ECG, and laboratory services in biochemistry, haematology and microbiology are also available.
Kumar Gaurav Dhawan said, “The construction work of the centre is nearing completion. Only some engineering work at the mortuary is left out. The Centre is expected to be ready by November this year. Also, PGIMER has already initiated the process to hire manpower and healthcare workers for the centre, which is expected to be fully operational by the beginning of 2023.”
