PGI appeals to public not to come with minor ailments

Chandigarh, Sep 2 (UNI) Stressing the emergency of PGIMER--working at 200 per cent of its approved capacity--is overstressed, the institution has appealed to the public, hospitals and other health care facilities here and in neighbouring states to ensure that only serious patients seek its services.

''In order to ensure proper, thorough and prompt treatment to very seriously sick patients, it is essential that hospitals and other health care facilities in and around Chandigarh and other hospitals of Punjab and Haryana states send only those patients which cannot be medically managed at their hospitals due to non-availability of either the expertise or diagnostic/therapeutic facilities,'' a PGI press release today said.

''It is our experience that a large number of patients referred to PGI Emergency can be medically managed at these referring hospitals and health care facilities. The overcrowding of the PGI leads to increased and unmanageable emergency workload on doctors, nurses and other staff,'' the release said.

It also led to excessive workload on investigative, diagnostic and therapeutic facilities of PGI emergency beyond maximum handling capacity of such services, it said.

UNI JN VD RN1911