The patient load at PGI, Chandigarh, has seen a massive increase in the last few years, with Professor Vivek Lal, the director of the premier institute, now chalking out a roadmap that he says, will strive to address the shortage of workforce and in the process increase patient care at the institute.
“We cannot cap the number of patients but can work to improve services here at the institute,” said Professor Lal.
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 on 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 theaters,” added Professor Lal.
The institute has also planned a 50 per cent increase in sponsored seats for Defence personnel for DM courses and also more MD and DM seats.The standing Committee has also approved a proposal to increase the DM/MCH seats under the sponsored/deputed category from 33% to 50% (for only medicalsuper specialties) of the total sanctioned strength of general seats.
“We need more people and increasing our workforce is the key 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, ICUs, require the expertise of phlebotomists and with the rising number of patients, with the seven sanctioned posts failing to take care of the workload at present. A tender will soon be floated soon through an outsourced agency to engage phlebotomists, officials said.