CHANDIGARH, May 15: To manage its growing patient volume, the Advanced Eye Centre (AEC) at PGIMER is set for a major expansion with the addition of a new six-storey block, adjacent to its existing four-storey facility.
The ₹98-crore project, approved last year by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has received preliminary clearance from the UT administration, a PGIMER official confirmed. The institute is currently preparing the final site plan for environmental clearance and final approval.
Once construction begins, the building is expected to be completed within 18 months, the official said.
“This is the second phase of our centre’s development, aimed at meeting the rising patient load,” said Pankaj Rai, deputy director (administration), PGIMER.
At present, the AEC handles around 1,400 patients daily in its out-patient department (OPD) and conducts approximately 100 surgeries each weekday, ranging from minor procedures like cataract removal to major operations.
“We have six operation theatres now. The new building will add four more, which will help us perform more surgeries and bring down patient waiting times,” said Dr SS Pandav, head of PGIMER’s ophthalmology department. “With around 30 faculty members, we are well-equipped to scale up surgical services.”
The new block will also include 18 additional beds, although, as Dr Pandav pointed out, most minor eye procedures do not require hospital admission.
“Patients undergoing surgeries like cataract are usually discharged the same day, so the bed requirement remains modest,” he said.
In the 2023–24 period, the centre’s OPD recorded 1.23 lakh new patient registrations, while the overall footfall—including returning patients—crossed 3.09 lakh.
Of the six floors planned in the new structure, four will be dedicated to ophthalmology services, while two floors will house a drug de-addiction centre, reflecting PGIMER’s integrated approach to public health. Two connecting corridors will link the new building to the existing one on the second and third floors.
Established in 2006, the AEC spans 1,10,000 square feet, and currently hosts eight specialty clinics, six OTs, state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, labs, and an emergency unit.
Officials said the expansion is essential not only for operational capacity but also for maintaining the centre’s standing as a regional hub for ophthalmic care.
