How the healthcare in Chandigarh changed during 2022

Labs reports through SMS: Lab Investigation disbursement has now become easier, as lab reports are now available on the registered mobile number of the patient, thus eliminating the need for patients to stand in line for collecting reports. After receiving samples at various designated counters for investigations prescribed by the clinicians, these samples are sent to respective labs for further processing. Once the investigation reports are ready, a link is sent to the patient’s registered mobile through SMS for downloading these investigation reports.

Fully automated hemogram laboratory: Catering to the Institute’s heavy OPD patient workload, the new laboratory is fully equipped with the latest instruments to test blood samples, and automatically prepares slides for examination by pathologists. The hemogram includes tests like hemoglobin, platelet count, and white blood cell count as well as differential count, reticulocyte count etc. These are commonly requested tests by clinical services, and this new initiative will cut down the time for reports to 4 to 6 hours, from the previous turn-around time of about 15 hours.

Introduction of QR code-based payment system so patients can make digital payments: POS machines provide the option to pay through debit cards, credit cards, and all types of UPI e.g. Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe, etc. Out of 40 POS machines, 24 have been installed and 16 are kept on standby. An increase has been observed in the transactions since POS was introduced in PGIMER recently.

OPD MRI waiting list down: From 9 to 10 months, the waiting period is now around 2.5 months, with the Gamma Knife MRI now fully operational and the Institute running extra shifts on it for patients of the Radiology Department. In addition, all government scheme patients, radiotherapy cancer patients from OPD, get their MRI dates in two days and all other radiology scans like X-Ray, DEXA, Ultrasound, and Mammogram. Dates for Intervention Radiology like FNAC and biopsy have been reduced from 6 weeks to 10 days now after intervention radiology services were expanded in the newly allocated area a few months back. All emergency and ward CTs are now being done the same day and for highly specialized CTs, the waiting period has been brought down from 8 to 3 weeks.

Special dialysis room for children: To cater to many children with childhood nephrotic syndrome (kidney disorder), many requiring dialysis and some also renal transplants, a special dialysis room has been started by Prof. H.S. Kohli, Head of Nephrology, PGI. The idea, he says, is to create a comfortable, child-friendly environment for them, as they fear the procedure, and are already emotionally vulnerable, as they have suffered on account of the disease. If they are treated along with the adults, they can feel very scared, so it was important to create a special space for them, which is not intimidating and clinical. Also, when they see other children their age, they feel they are not alone and can connect with them.

Several IT initiatives have been taken by PGI in the last year to harness its potential for providing services to patients. With the inauguration of Eoffice, the delays in processing files have been reduced.

Less patient management in Advanced Eye Centre (AEC): PGI is heading towards paperless patient management in Advance Eye Centre, starting from OPD consultation to investigations. This patient-management software has been developed in-house and the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) will be generated through this software which will cover all OPDS (general and special clinics), labs, patient admissions, OTS etc. will be generated automatically whenever the patient visits respective OPDs, labs, OTs, admitted in various wards etc.

QMS at AEC for management: Queue Management has recently been introduced in the Advanced Eye Centre. The patient load is now being handled efficiently. Long queues have been replaced with only those patients who have been issued tokens. The patients can now avail themselves of hospital services without standing in long queues.

Relaunch of Web Portal of PGI: The web portal of the Institute has been restructured and the public interface of the web portal has been improved for the convenience of users, students, faculty members, and others. Now information is categorized with regards to patients, students, and faculty members, and now all information related to patients — OPD schedule, doctor details, list of OPD holidays, and lab reports are available under one tab. Similarly, information related to other users is now placed in a separate tab, improving the ease of access to information.

The Digital Way

Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH-16)

Scan and share self-registration facility for OPD: In a patient-centric and patient-friendly initiative, the Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH-16), Chandigarh has introduced a scan and share self-registration facility for OPD registration and get OPD cards. To avail of this facility, a patient needs to have a smartphone and an Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID or number, or even OTP-based registration linked to his/her mobile number. This can be done by downloading and installing the ABHA App from Google Play Store for Android Smartphones or the ABHA ABDM App from Apple App Store for iOS/iPhone. The hospital plans to utilise nursing students to act as patient coordinators to make the public aware of this facility and to also help download and install the app for registration for the first time.

RT-PCR Lab: With a capacity of 200 tests a day, a full-fledged RT-PCR Laboratory is now fully functional at GMSH-16. Now, city residents will get Covid reports from the hospital. Earlier, samples from the hospital were sent to PGI and GMCH-32 for testing. GMSH-16 now has a TrueNat machine, for testing emergency cases, and the results are given in about four hours.

Waiting hall for attendants: A waiting hall for attendants of patients was inaugurated this year GMSH-16 at. Constructed through the aegis of Vardhman Textiles Ltd., Ludhiana as a part of their CSR initiative, the waiting hall has the capacity to seat about 150 patients/attendants at any given time. The waiting hall, according to Dr. Suman Singh, Director Health Services, has a provision for cross-ventilation, is well-lit and airy with adequate lighting, fans, and a water cooler for public comfort and convenience, and prefabricated, separate toilets for men and women.

Telemedicine Studio at GMSH-16: There has been a steady rise in the demand for teleconsultation in Chandigarh, both from the region as well as the UT, and in June this year, Chandigarh achieved the second rank in the country among Union Territories in Teleconsultation at Health and Wellness Centres. “We have seen a demand for teleconsultation with specialists of GMSH-16. We are working to provide more services to patients who feel more comfortable seeking treatment through teleconsultation. In fact, we have people waiting in line for their turn for consultation,” said Dr. Suman Singh, Director, UT Health Services. In a step in this direction Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), under its CSR activity, has established a computerised E-Health Centre at Milk Colony, Dhanas. HPE has also established a Telemedicine Studio at GMSH-16. This studio is working as a teleconsultation hub for all Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) in Chandigarh. Here, patients can avail of most of the services through telemedicine/E-Sanjivini, and doctors at HWCs can consult specialists at GMSH-16, GMCH-2, and PGI for better patient care.

Top spot for city: Chandigarh has attained first place in the country by achieving 100 and more than 100 per cent targets in aspects like PSA mock drills, plant training, oxycare portal up-gradation, NDMA portal up-gradation etc. A team of experts deputed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare visited Chandigarh to study the oxygen management system in the city’s government hospitals. The team extensively examined all the facilities and found the Chandigarh oxygen management system perfect and the best in the country.

Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32

OPD services start in GMCH, Sector 48: A long-standing demand of residents, OPD services for new patients and follow-up patients started on December 1 with four departments — General Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, and Orthopedics. In addition, the department of Dermatology, Radiation oncology, Tuberculosis and Respiratory Medicine, and Department of Psychiatry will run their follow-up OPDs. These OPDs will be manned by consultants and residents from the respective departments of GMCH-32. OPD timings will be from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon. Registration will be open from 9.00 am to 11.00 am. In addition, there will be facilities for X-rays, sample collection, and a pharmacy.

Specialised pediatric cardiology services: The Department of Cardiology, GMCH 32 Chandigarh has started specialised pediatric cardiology services and an Arrhythmia Clinic in the hospital. According to senior doctors, this has been possible with the availability of faculty who are trained and specialised in this area of expertise. The Arrhythmia Clinic will run every Wednesday, in the afternoon and the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic will run on Saturday afternoon.

GMCH 32 accomplishes first organ donation: With PGIMER’s assistance, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, accomplished its first case of organ donation and transplantation after its designation as a Retrieval Centre. The family of 20-year-old Shahanwaz reversed the fortunes of four organ failure patients with the transplantation of the heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas.

Jan Aushadhi at GMCH-32: A new medical shop, ‘Jan Aushadhi’, is now operational at GMCH-32, Level-I, Block D. According to the authorities here, the shop was a long pending requirement for providing good quality medicines at cheaper rates and will help the public to buy generic medicines at an affordable price, as compared to branded medicines. With this, the GMCH has 5 medical shops, including one Amrit Pharmacy.

New posts and courses sanctioned: Prof Jasbinder Kaur, Director Principal, GMCH 32 says that two proposals for filling up 58 faculty posts and 323 posts of staff nurses have been sanctioned and 35 senior resident posts have been filled. Also in 2022, two DM courses each in pulmonary medicine, cardiology, and neonatology have started, and seats increased in gynecology as well. The hospital has also started an MD course in physiology and the Department of Nuclear Medicine is also being created here.

In the news

Lab declares Propoven drug samples declared not of standard quality by lab

The Health Department, UT, Chandigarh on September 2, was approached by a high-level committee of PGI doctors for testing Propoven (Inj. Propofol), an anesthetic, given to patients before surgery. A few deaths and serious side effects of the drug were reported at the Institute. According to sources at PGI, these patients underwent surgery and were sedated with Propofal, and the untoward reaction initiated this step of testing the drug. On September 1, a matter regarding unexplained hypotension (low BP) in the intra-operative period (during operation) with anuria (decrease in urine output) and/or jaundice in the postoperative period in a few patients at the PGI and also some deaths, was brought to the notice of the Medical Superintendent by two department heads. A joint investigation team comprising drugs inspectors of the Drugs Control wing, Chandigarh, and Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation, Sub-Zone Baddi drew samples of drug Propoven (Propofol Injection) on September 2 and the samples were sent to the regional drugs testing laboratory, Chandigarh. As a precautionary measure, the retailers, wholesalers, and distributors of the drug were asked to recall the drug or freeze the drug stocks. Further State Drugs Controller Haryana and State Drugs Controller Himachal Pradesh were asked to take appropriate action as the distributor and manufacturer of the drug were in their area of jurisdiction respectively. As per the test report received on September 27, the drug has been declared as not of standard quality by the laboratory, as it failed in sterility, free fatty acids, pH, Propofol dimer, and bacterial endotoxin. After this report, the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation will be conducting the final inquiry and we will await their reports, on the further course of action. “The sub-standard drug clearly proves that it was the cause of the catastrophic events. Deterrent and appropriate action will be taken in due course,” said Dr. Vivek Lal, Director, of PGI.