Soon the patients visiting the new OPD block of the premier institute,PGI,will no longer have to walk till the Nehru Hospital,as all the minor surgeries would be done on the fifth floor of the same building. As of now,hundreds of patients visiting the different outpatient departments and special clinics,after getting examined have to walk almost half a kilometre to the Nehru Hospital which is located on the other end of the PGI to get the date for minor surgeries. Now,the authorities have decided that the six operation theatres will be put to use by doctors in different OPDs to carry out minor surgeries which require a patient to stay for a day or is discharged on the same day. Speaking to Newsline,a senior faculty member said,We have already spoken to most of the doctors who attend hundreds of patients daily. Some of the doctors are currently on leave,and will be back by July 15. Hopefully after July 15,we will be able to start the facility. The fifth floor of the New OPD building was earlier housing the Ophthalmology Department. After the construction of the Advanced Eye Centre was over,this department was shifted there. With the PGI authorities facilitating patients to get surgeries such as minor ear surgery,hernia operation,minor urology surgeries,the waiting period for patients would reduce substantially. As of now,due to the increasing rush of patients both in the OPD and special clinics,patients mostly have to wait for a fortnight to a month depending on the immediacy of the need for surgery. As of now,on an average nearly 5,000 patients visit PGIs OPD s departments both at the New OPD and Nehru Hospital. Out of these patients,around 3,500 patients visit New OPD block alone. Not all the patients visiting the OPDs require minor surgery but on an average around 350-400 minor surgeries and procedures are done every day, pointed out a senior Faculty member.
