The patient load at PGI, Chandigarh has seen a huge increase in the last few years, Professor Vivek Lal, director of the premier institute, is now preparing a roadmap which, he says, will attempt to address the workforce shortage and in-process Enhances patient care in the institution.
“We cannot limit the number of patients, but we can work to improve the services here at the institute,” Professor Lal said.
The institute will now start an MBBS course, with 100 students, with a proposal for the same having been approved by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. While the institute has been teaching postgraduate courses so far, the new undergraduate programme will be started in a format similar to that of AIIMS-Delhi and it will add to the 92 MBBS general category seats (offered by GMCH-32) in the city. “We have made a roadmap, and the MBBS course was the need of the hour. For many years, the Institute has been looking forward to it, a step that will benefit the city and region. We have the infrastructure, and faculty and need to add a few more lecture theatres,” added Professor Lal.
The institute also plans to increase the sponsored seats for defence personnel by 50 percent and more seats for MD and DM for DM courses. The Standing Committee has also approved the proposal to increase the DM/MCH seats under Sponsored/Deputation Category from 33. % to 50% of the total sanctioned strength of general seats (for Medical Super Specialty only).
“We need more people and it is important to grow our workforce to meet the expectations of our patients.”
As many as 34 posts, both faculty and non-faculty, have been sanctioned for the Sangrur satellite centre of PGI, with also approval for purchasing equipment by the end of this year, says Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, Deputy Director Administration, PGI. “Our top priority is hiring nursing staff, as it is a long-pending demand, and we are looking to add about 1500 more nurses,” added Dhawan.
PGI, in the recent Standing Finance Committee meeting, had also put forward a proposal to hire as many as 50 phlebotomists on a contract basis for sample collection, diagnostic work and upkeep of records of patients. All laboratories, the Advanced Trauma Centre, Emergency complex, and ICUs, require the expertise of phlebotomists and with the rising number of patients, the seven sanctioned posts failing to take care of the workload at present. A tender will soon be floated through an outsourced agency to engage phlebotomists, officials said.
