On the occasion of Republic Day Prof.Y K Chawla, Director PGIMER intimated the employees about the two satellite centres of PGIMER which were going to open in Sangrur and Ferozepur to cater to patients of Punjab. While announcing certain new introductions for patient care Prof.Chawla said that a sample collection centre and a fee counter will be opened soon in Research Block-A. Most of the areas in Advanced Trauma Centre had become functional and Trauma-A renovation was in full swing. Twenty per cent patients in PGI were being treated free of cost and there was free screening for cancer in women through Asha Jyoti Mobile Van in the Institute and around Chandigarh. Signages and ATMs in the Institute had been installed for the convenience of patients. During the Golden Jubilee Year many public awareness programmes were broadcast on All India Radio and many public lectures had been held.
Prof Chawla thanked Sh.Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister for Railways for sanctioning Rs.2 crore from MPLAD funds for automation of PGI Kitchen and vehicles for Fire Fighting, Security and Surveillance. He also thanked Postal Department for releasing a postal stamp on the occasion of Golden Jubilee Year of the Institute. He expressed his gratitude for the NGOs Red Cross, Lifeline, Sewa Bharti, Cancer Sahayta Sahyog and philanthropic citizens Sh.Jasmer Singh, Sh.D.K.Batta and Sh.N D Chawla for donating hi-tech ambulance, Winger ambulance and Eco ambulance to PGI.
While expressing his happiness to be amongst the PGI family comprising resident doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and others, he informed that in the last six months about 282 employees of different sections had been recruited, 67 promoted, 279 confirmed, 4 had been given financial upgradation under ACP scheme and 187 under MACP scheme. He also appreciated the engineering wing and informed that Ministry of Urban Development has sanctioned 110 additional houses for categories 1 & 2 of PGI Staff. Work on road carpeting and jogging track had begun.
Earlier Prof. Chawla unfurled the national flag at PGIMER and celebrated the Republic Day along with the faculty, nursing, administrative and other staff. While addressing the audience Prof. Chawla said, “Due to the foresight of our first Prime Minister Pt.Jawaharlal Nehru our main hospital was inaugurated on 7th July, 1963. Today its only due to the hard work of founders like Dr.Tulsi Dass, Dr.S.S.Anand and DR. P.N.Chuttani that PGI will be able to celebrate the Golden Jubilee Year.” He paid rich tributes to the freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and innumerable martyrs. He thanked the faculty and other staff for their perseverance to improve the Institute’s functioning day-by-day. All the senior officers of the Institute attended the Republic Day function. Patriotic songs were sung by the Nursing staff and sweets were distributed amongst the employees by the Director.