Journalism of Courage
Soon,the patients requiring tertiary care for spine injuries and orthopaedic treatment will be able to get expert advice from the doctors of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). That too at the Regional Spinal Injuries Centre (RSIC),Mohali.
It has been learnt that both the institutes are going to be signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to initiate the arrangement. Sources say that a letter in this regard has already been sent by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad,who is the president of the governing body of the PGIMER. Sources in PGIMER add that the MoU will soon be executed.
In fact,it was almost three years ago that a decision to this effect was taken by the governing body of the RSIC,Mohali. However,with certain technicalities involved,the same could not be executed at that time. Now the PGIMER authorities are also mulling over having satellite centres to ease out the burden at the institute and an arrangement like this would be a boon, said a senior doctor from PGIMER.
Currently,a similar arrangement exists between the Government Medical College and Hospital,Sector 32,wherein a team of orthopaedic doctors and physiotherapists visits the spinal centre every week to look after the patients who come from far-off places in Punjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh and other states. Dr Raj Bahadur,who is on deputation to GMCH-32 from PGIMER,is the project incharge at the RSIC.
A similar arrangement between the experts from PGIMER and the spinal centre will only prove beneficial for the patients as they will be able to get the advice and the treatment from PGIMER doctors.
At the RSIC,the treatment is subsidised as it is a joint venture between the Punjab and Union governments. An MoU was signed with the UT administration to make technical support available through GMCH-32.
There is no such spinal treatment centre in this region,even in the private sector,and patients had to go to the All-India Spinal Centre in Delhi prior to the RSIC.
