Over Rs 1,607 crore released for digital health infrastructure at PGIMER, Chandigarh in 5 years: Centre
Digital upgrades, such as the transition to Hospital Information System 2.0, are underway at PGIMER, Chandigarh, the Union Health Ministry informed the Parliament.
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Of 1,096 items procured by PGIMER for various departments, 147 remain non-operational or underutilised. (File Photo)The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare revealed Friday that over Rs 1,607 crore was allocated and released for digital health infrastructure at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, during the last five years.
The government’s response came in the wake of a question raised by MP Manish Tewari in Parliament on critical issues and developments in digital infrastructure at the institute. The fund, released under ‘Grants for Creation of Capital Assets’, was incrementally increased to Rs 350 crore during 2024-25, the Centre stated. Despite these investments, Tewari’s query appeared to reveal infrastructural gaps affecting patient care, notably in core facilities and digital systems upgrades.
An annexure presented to Parliament also listed the medical equipment procured by PGIMER since 2020. Out of 1,096 items procured for various PGIMER departments, 147 remain non-operational or underutilised, including a significant number of items in neurosurgery and paediatrics.
The government acknowledged that 93 per cent of civil works for critical centres — including the Mother and Child Care Centre — are complete but cited delays due to building plan revisions, pandemic-related disruptions, and shifting of service blocks for safety compliance.
To address these challenges, approvals have been granted for an Advanced Neurosciences Centre and a Critical Care Block under the PM-ABHIM scheme. Moreover, digital upgrades for PGIMER, such as the transition to Hospital Information System (HIS) 2.0 and the establishment of satellite centres in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, are underway.
MP Tewari emphasised the urgent need for a dedicated PGIMER facility for Chandigarh residents, given the massive patient footfall from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, in addition to local residents.
Referring to recent developments in land allocation for the PGIMER extension in Sarangpur, he urged the Centre to consider a Chandigarh-exclusive facility to fulfil the city’s unique healthcare requirements—a proposal he intends to pursue further with Union Minister of Health J P Nadda.
Tewari also called for targeted expansions and modernisations at the leading medical institute to ensure world-class healthcare for Chandigarh residents.
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