CHANDIGARH, Aug 9: — At least 147 of the 1,096 medical devices purchased by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) over the past five years remain unused, the Union health ministry has told Parliament.
Responding to an unstarred question from Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, the ministry confirmed that several devices — including equipment meant for the Mother and Child Care Centre — have been lying idle due to incomplete infrastructure.
The ministry said 93% of civil works for the centre have been completed. Delays, it added, were caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, revisions in building plans to meet site and user requirements, and the need to comply with fire safety norms.
Neurosurgery accounts for the highest number of unused devices with 55, followed by paediatrics with 33. The advanced paediatric centre and anaesthesia department each have 20. Among the idle neurosurgery equipment are intensive care unit beds costing ₹2–3 lakh apiece.
In total, the neurosurgery department purchased 479 devices and paediatrics 110 during the five-year period. The ministry did not disclose the overall cost of unused equipment.
Tewari had specifically asked whether medical devices worth crores were non-operational due to pending construction.
The ministry also noted that PGIMER’s grant-in-aid for creating capital assets has risen from ₹250 crore in 2021–22 to ₹350 crore in 2024–25.
Despite repeated attempts, the PGI administration did not respond to requests for comment.
