Punjab and Haryana High Court directs PGIMER to set up signboards for poor patient welfare fund
Over 10,000 patients benefited from this welfare fund in two years.
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The HC bench, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sudhir Singh, observed that many patients were unable to access the fund due to lack of awareness and the overwhelming footfall at the institute (Express Archives)The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Medical Superintendent of PGIMER, Chandigarh, to install prominent signboards across its campus, including lifts, passages, roads, OPDs, and reception areas, to ensure poor patients are informed about the Poor Patient Welfare Fund (PPWF).
The court issued the directive while hearing a petition filed by one Divya Sharma regarding the case of Ravinder Kumar, who required assistance for replacing the battery of an Automated Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (AICD) after undergoing cardiovascular surgery at PGIMER.
The Additional Solicitor General of India, Satya Pal Jain, informed the court that Kumar had already been provided assistance through the PPWF, and the battery replacement process was underway.
An affidavit filed by PGIMER’s Medical Superintendent revealed that from 2023-2024, the PPWF had benefited 5,402 patients, with Rs 3.24 crore utilised out of a total donation of Rs 4.80 crore. From April to December 2024, 4,920 patients benefited, with Rs 3.50 crore utilised out of Rs 3.73 crore in donations.
The HC bench, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sudhir Singh, observed that many patients were unable to access the fund due to lack of awareness and the overwhelming footfall at the institute. To address this, the court directed PGIMER to make procedural improvements and ensure compliance with its order within four weeks.
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