16.02.2026-In a major step towards strengthening emergency cardiac care, PGIMER Chandigarh will operationalize its long-awaited Dedicated Cardiac Emergency Facility from 1st March 2026. The initiative addresses a critical gap that has been felt since the establishment of the Advanced Cardiac Centre in 2009.

Sharing this development, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER said that the need for a separate cardiac emergency had been recognised for years. “In a high-volume tertiary care institute like PGIMER, managing acute cardiac cases within the general emergency system was increasingly challenging. We felt it was important to create a focused pathway exclusively for cardiac emergencies,” Director PGIMER stated.

For a long time, cardiac emergency patients were managed through the main Emergency wing, which caters to a massive influx of trauma, medical, surgical and critically ill cases from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and neighbouring regions. Given the daily patient load, time-sensitive cardiac cases often had to function within a crowded system, underscoring the urgency for a structured, specialised response.

Prof. Vivek Lal shared that from early in his tenure as Director PGIMER, efforts were made to streamline systems and prioritise patient-centric reforms. “Cardiovascular emergencies are time-critical. Every minute saved can translate into a life saved. Our objective has been to ensure that no cardiac patient loses precious time because of logistical bottlenecks.”

Acknowledging the team spirit, Director PGIMER stated, “The Dedicated Cardiac Emergency has been made possible through coordinated efforts of the Departments of Cardiology, Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia, Hospital Administration and Nursing Services. According to the Director PGIMER, this integrated framework is designed to minimise delays and enhance accountability in emergency cardiac care.”

Director PGIMER further highlighted that the initiative is also expected to decongest the main Emergency wing, improving overall patient flow and reducing stress for both patients and attendants. “This is not merely an infrastructural addition but a strengthening of systems. We are building responsiveness into our emergency care framework,” Prof. Vivek Lal remarked.