CHANDIGARH—Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Advanced Mother and Child Centre and the Advanced Neurosciences Centre at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, while also laying the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block, in a move the government said would expand access to specialized healthcare across northern India.
The Advanced Mother and Child Centre is a 300-bed facility designed to provide tertiary care for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and children requiring specialized treatment. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the centre brings advanced maternal and pediatric services under one roof and is expected to benefit thousands of families from Chandigarh and neighboring states.
The newly inaugurated Advanced Neurosciences Centre will provide integrated neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-critical care and advanced diagnostic services, while the proposed Critical Care Block is being developed under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission to strengthen emergency preparedness, intensive care capacity and disaster response, officials said.
Speaking at the event, Modi said the new facilities would strengthen access to quality healthcare for large numbers of patients and reflected the government's efforts over the past decade to expand affordable medical services. According to the official release, he cited the establishment of new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, additional medical colleges and investments in specialized healthcare infrastructure since 2014.
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said the projects would reinforce India's healthcare system by expanding advanced treatment capacity and complementing broader reforms under the National Health Policy and Ayushman Bharat initiatives. He said primary healthcare services and digital health infrastructure had also expanded significantly in recent years.
The healthcare projects formed part of a broader package of development works worth more than 4,700 billion rupees announced in Chandigarh, covering healthcare, education and transport infrastructure, according to the government. The event was attended by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari, among other officials.
PGIMER, one of India's leading tertiary-care and medical research institutions, serves patients from several northern states. Officials said the newly commissioned facilities are expected to increase the institute's capacity to provide specialized treatment, training and research, while construction of the Critical Care Block will proceed under the central government's health infrastructure program.
