The audit and inspection report of PGIMER Chandigarh for March 2021 and 2022 highlighted several focus areas, including procurement and utilization of medicines, medical examinations, and OPD management. The report was shared in response to an RTI filed by activist Ram Kumar Garg.
According to the audit, PGIMER has a waiting period of two to three months for MRI tests and PET scans. MRI charges Rs 2,500 per field, while PET scans cost Rs 7,000. The report compares the waiting time for these tests at PGIMER and GMSH-16, with no waiting period at GMSH-16, where MRI machines operate under PPP model, with lower rates than at PGIMER.
The audit also flagged that the 3T MRI machine at PGIMER was not operational and the process of procuring a new machine on buyback basis took eight months, potentially contributing to the increased waiting period.
The auditors scrutinized appointment registers and other documents to determine the waiting period and observed that only the date of appointment was recorded without considering when it was issued. In addition, dates of appointments and examination schedules were often missing.
The audit questioned the basis for determining MRI charges and when the rates were last revised.
In response, PGIMER clarified that MRI of emergency and ward patients is done immediately. The waiting period of OPD patients depends on many factors, such as weather, festive season, and machine breakdown or re-installation. The institute said it was not possible to establish a uniform methodology for determining the waiting period. However, it emphasized that the priority is based on the recommendation of doctors who prescribe cancer patients and those with significant medical conditions.
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