CHANDIGARH: The Union minister of health and family welfare Mansukh Mandaviya, visited PGI’s satellite centre at Sangrur on Sunday. Seeing the pace of the work, he announced that it should be functional by January next year.
While reviewing the progress of the centre, the minister expressed his satisfaction at the pace of the execution of the project. “With the pace at which the work is being executed, including procurement of medical devices and equipment, the Satellite Centre will be fully functional by January, 2023 and will provide a huge relief not only for the local population but for those far and wide.”
Endorsing the need for ‘affordable health for all’, Mansukh shared about the initiatives by the government to promote generic medicines which include over 8,500 Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country which are visited by over 20 lakh people daily in the country. Awareness campaign by engaging with National Medical Council and launch of an app ‘Jan Aushadhi Sugam’ to make people aware about the salt in the medicine to enable them make considered choice between generic and branded medicine. The minister also shared that ‘a Jan Aushadhi Kendra will also be opened in the Satellite Centre, Sangrur.
Earlier, the minister was accorded a warm welcome by director PGIMER Vivek Lal, deputy director(admin), Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, medical superintendent, Vipin Koushal amongst others.
A detailed presentation was made before the minister wherein he was apprised that the Satellite Centre, comprising a 300 bed hospital, was envisaged with an intent to reduce the overcrowding in PGIMER, Chandigarh and reduce travel time of patients.
Vivek Lal informed “Spread over a land of 25 acres, the project cost of this Satellite Centre is Rs. 449.00 crore. The phase 1 has already been executed with the construction of Temporary OPD, Guest House and Boundary Wall and Phase 2 of the execution is being fast tracked. The satellite Centre is expected to be fully functional early next year.”
Lal further shared that with a temporary OPD being functional since October 2016 in the Satellite Centre, 2,78,416 patients have already been examined in these OPD facilities till date. The health minister visited the Temporary OPD where he interacted with doctors, paramedics and patients and enquired about the facilities being provided to patients there.
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