CHANDIGARH, May 31 — After nearly four years of delays, the much-anticipated 283-bed emergency-cum-trauma centre at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, is finally nearing completion and is expected to begin operations by June, according to hospital officials.
“We have received the takeover letter from the UT engineering department and formed a committee for inspecting the newly constructed building. We are hopeful of starting the centre by next month,” said Dr. Ashok Attri, director-principal of GMCH.
The trauma centre, envisioned as a state-of-the-art response unit to handle critical emergencies, has been in development since August 2020. Originally slated for completion by February 2022, the project saw repeated delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, pending environmental clearances, and sluggish construction progress.
The centre will provide a much-needed boost to Chandigarh’s emergency healthcare infrastructure. The hospital’s existing emergency ward, with just 45 beds, currently handles nearly 400 emergency cases each day—often forcing patients to be treated on trolleys due to lack of space.
Once operational, the facility will feature 40 ventilator-equipped beds, multiple operation theatres, ICU, isolation wards, CT scan and MRI capabilities, and ambulatory care units.
Dr. GP Thami, medical superintendent at GMCH and head of the inspection committee, is overseeing the final phase of readiness, including addressing issues identified during ongoing inspections. “The air conditioning systems are installed, and construction is done. We are now in the cleaning and sanitisation phase, ensuring the building is ready for patient care,” said Thami.
The procurement of beds and essential furniture has already been completed by the hospital administration.
UT chief engineer CB Ojha confirmed the completion of core construction work. “We have sent the inventory list to GMCH-32 as many costly equipment are kept in the building. We are now handling finishing touches along with the hospital team,” he said.
The trauma centre was approved in 2019 with an estimated cost of ₹52.77 lakh. It was designed to complement PGIMER, which remains the city’s primary trauma care facility and is overstretched in handling road accidents, disaster cases, and other medical emergencies.
With the upcoming launch of the new centre, authorities hope to significantly reduce the burden on PGIMER and improve timely access to emergency medical care across the Union Territory.
