PGIMER Chandigarh extends surgery hours till 8 pm to reduce waiting time
PTC Web Desk: In a significant move to ease the long waiting period for surgeries, PGIMER Chandigarh has decided to extend operation hours until 8 pm, restoring pre-Covid timings. The decision is expected to benefit patients by reducing the waiting period from 4 to 6 months. Earlier, post-pandemic restrictions had limited surgical procedures to 5 pm. With this extension, each operation theatre (OT) will now accommodate an additional 4 to 5 surgeries, facilitating timely treatment for approximately 200 patients daily.
Currently, PGIMER conducts around 450 surgeries per day, including both minor and major procedures. The institute houses a total of 40 operation theatres, with 16 located in Nehru Hospital.
A circular has been issued to all medical departments, confirming that elective surgeries will now be scheduled from Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm. Unlike before, there will be no fixed induction time for surgeries, allowing doctors greater flexibility in conducting procedures.
Departments that typically conclude operations earlier, such as plastic surgery, gynaecology, and orthopaedics, will experience the most significant advantage from this decision. Earlier, these OTs operated only until 3 pm. With the new directive, they will now function until 8 pm.
The Urology Department has received a transplant license, significantly reducing the waiting period for kidney transplants. Earlier, patients had to wait 12 to 16 months for a transplant. However, following the department’s accreditation, the waiting time has now been cut to just three months. Since receiving the license last year, over 300 kidney transplants have been performed within eight months, setting a new record for PGIMER.
- PTC NEWS
