PGIMER: Nadda’s Inauguration visit Postponed, MLA assures to take ISSUE to Home Ministry

Chandigarh: The foundation stone- laying ceremony of the newly advanced neurosciences centre at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) was postponed after the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda failed to pay the visit.

However, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwani Choubey visited the institute on Thursday. While talking to the head of the departments at the institute, he was informed of an issue, to which he assured of taking it up to the Union home ministry.

Neurosciences Centre: Foundation Stone- Laying Ceremony

Advanced neurosciences centre, which will have 300 beds, is a Rs 495.31 crore project. It will provide to the patients suffering from neurological diseases and disorders. It will house facilities like brain suite, mapping, invasive neurophysiological techniques and advanced imaging technology.

According to the authorities at the institute, ‘red carpet welcome’ was arranged for the Health Minister to lay the foundation of the advanced centre. However, Nadda did not visit the institute.

The minister, along with local dignitaries including the adviser, home secretary, finance secretary and the Member of Parliament, was in the list for attending the ceremony.

The project had been stalled for an indefinite period. PGI Director Prof Jagat Ram told Tribune, “We had made all arrangements for the inauguration. On Wednesday night, we had received a communiqué about the cancellation of the scheduled programme. I do not know when the foundation stone-laying ceremony will take place.”

TOI reports that the ceremony will be postponed in absence of Nadda as he had shown his interest in laying the foundation stone of the new centre.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwani Kumar Choubey visited the Institute on Thursday. Prof Jagat Ram, Dr Rajesh Kumar, Dean Academics, Dr Arvind Rajvanshi, Dean Research, Amitabh Avasthi, Deputy Director, PGI, Dr AK Gupta, Medical Superintendent, PGI, and Kumar Abhey, Financial Advisor, welcomed the minister, reports Tribune.

Various presentations were made on PGI as well as the ongoing and upcoming projects to apprise the minister of the present patient rush in OPDs, Emergency and trauma centre. Afterwards, he interacted with the institute’s faculty and various head of the departments.

As per the Indian Express, the institute informed him about the UT Administration charging him Rs 1,011 crore for a 50-acre land at Sarangpur. The plot has been sanctioned by the UT Administration to PGIMER. “He assured of taking it up with the Union home ministry,” said an official.