In view of the ever-increasing crowd of patients in the Advanced Eye Center (AEC) of Chandigarh PGI, it will now be expanded. For this, the Union Health Ministry has approved a budget of Rs 98 crore. Now the Chandigarh Administration has also given the green signal to this project. The Chief Architect Office of the Urban Planning Department of the Administration has approved the extension design prepared by the PGI.
According to the information, now the PGI administration is preparing a detailed map. It will be sent for environmental clearance. This new 6-storey block will be built on the land adjoining the existing eye center.
1000 patients reach OPD daily
The Advanced Eye Center was started in the year 2006 during the tenure of the then Director Prof. KK Talwar. At that time its four-storey building was prepared. At present, an average of 1000 patients reach OPD daily for treatment. In the year 2023, a total of 3 lakh 7 thousand patients were checked here.
This is the department of PGI where maximum number of patients come daily. Along with OPD, around 100 small and big surgeries are performed here daily. There are more than 30 faculty members in the department, but due to limited operation theatre and OPD space, there is difficulty in treatment.
Lack of operation theatre, waiting period of up to one and a half months
Apart from the emergency operation theatre on the fourth floor of the present eye centre, there are six other operation theatres, which are falling short as per the number of patients. Many times patients have to wait for up to one and a half months for routine surgery.
The new 6-storey block will have 4 new operation theatres, lecture theatre, research laboratory, 18 special clinics and faculty offices on the ground floor. Also, 2 floors will be given to the drug de-addiction centre.
The existing block and the new block will be connected to each other. PGI As per the plan, two corridors will be built to connect the second and third floors of both the buildings so that the staff and patients do not face any problem in moving from one part to another.
