CHANDIGARH, July 15— A series of landmark transportation and public health initiatives will be officially launched on July 17 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to the Union Territory. The mega-development drive is designed to ease traffic bottlenecks in the sister towns of Mohali and Panchkula while upgrading northern India’s tertiary healthcare services. The projects represent a massive combined investment, introducing modern highway links and major expansion wings at PGIMER.
The transportation sector will receive a substantial upgrade with the launch of the Zirakpur Bypass, a 19.2-km, six-lane access-controlled highway developed by the National Highways Authority of India. Starting at the NH-7 junction and terminating at the NH-5 junction in Panchkula, the 1,878-crore rupees bypass will redirect heavy vehicles away from urban areas. Simultaneously, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Mohali IT City–Kurali Expressway, a 1,525.3-crore rupees greenfield corridor that facilitates swift transit on the outskirts of Mohali city.
On the medical front, PGIMER is set to scale up its operations with three new additions worth 1,200 crore rupees. Under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, the foundation stone will be laid for a 243-crore rupees critical care block to manage emergency admissions more efficiently. This will be accompanied by the launch of the Advanced Neuroscience Centre and the Mother and Child Care Centre, both designed to house 300 beds each.
Reflecting on the impact of these additions, PGIMER Director Dr. Vivek Lal described the comprehensive facilities being offered to the public.
“PGI manages 6,000 childbirths annually. The Mother and Child Care Centre has got state-of-the-art neonatal and intensive care units, operation theatres with comprehensive services under one roof,” Dr. Lal declared.
Departmental heads have welcomed the expansion as a necessary step to address intense patient volumes. Commenting on how the new maternity wing will alleviate pressure on existing wards, gynaecology department head Dr. Vanita Jain asserted that the 300-bed Mother and Child Care Centre will improve healthcare services. Furthermore, the Advanced Neuroscience Centre is designed to increase ward capacity by 500 percent and expand operation theatres to ten, ensuring specialized neurology treatments are delivered smoothly once diagnostic installations are fully completed.
