Did PGI Chandigarh Cut Surgery Waiting Time?

Chandigarh : In a major breakthrough for patients awaiting surgery, PGI Chandigarh has performed over 21,000 surgeries in just the past three months, thanks to extended operation theater (OT) hours and improved scheduling. The hospital administration took this step to address the long-standing issue of surgical waitlists, which had grown significantly in recent years due to high patient inflow and limited OT availability.

PGI Chandigarh, one of North India’s premier medical institutions, has always faced heavy pressure from patients across multiple states. With this new initiative, hospital authorities decided to extend OT working hours beyond the traditional schedule, allowing more surgeries to be conducted daily. This has drastically reduced the backlog of pending cases and ensured that patients now receive operation dates before their conditions worsen.

Doctors and medical staff are working in shifts to accommodate the additional surgical load, and the process has been streamlined using a robust scheduling system. This system prioritizes patients based on urgency, clinical requirements, and available resources. It has not only improved patient satisfaction but has also demonstrated the efficiency that can be achieved with better resource management.

A senior hospital official shared that patients who earlier had to wait several months for a surgery slot are now getting confirmed operation dates within a few weeks. In some cases, especially non-critical surgeries, the waiting period has dropped to under 10 days. The success of this initiative could set a precedent for other major government hospitals across the country, where surgery waiting lists continue to be a major concern.

The hospital is also planning to hire more staff and invest in new OT infrastructure to support this increased volume in the long term. PGI Chandigarh’s move is being hailed as a proactive and patient-centric model that combines dedication and smart management to solve one of the most pressing healthcare issues in India.