Chandigarh, 14.02.26-The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh recently concluded a meaningful outreach and health awareness initiative that welcomed nearly 800 school students from different districts of Himachal Pradesh between 7th and 13th February 2026. Spread across four carefully planned batches, the visits allowed students to experience the hospital environment closely while ensuring that routine patient care continued smoothly.

More than just an institutional tour, the programme was designed to help young minds understand healthcare as a shared responsibility. Students were introduced to SARATHI, PGIMER’s flagship voluntary service initiative, and were sensitised to the importance of organ donation, blood donation and eye donation—learning how informed citizens can strengthen the healthcare system.

Addressing the students, Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGI spoke about the power of prevention and awareness, stating, “Healthcare begins much before a patient enters a hospital. Awareness about balanced nutrition, physical activity, mental well-being and healthy lifestyle choices at a young age plays a decisive role in preventing chronic diseases and reducing future healthcare burden. By exposing students to the realities of public healthcare, we are investing in a more informed and responsible generation.”

Mr. Pankaj Rai, Deputy Director (Administration), PGIMER, who spearheaded the initiative and coordinated closely with all concerned departments to ensure its smooth execution, emphasised that the visits were carefully structured to balance educational exposure with hospital discipline as he said, “Organising students in phased batches ensured meaningful engagement while maintaining patient convenience and uninterrupted services. Such initiatives help young learners understand the scale of public healthcare delivery and appreciate the importance of structured voluntary service in supporting complex hospital systems.”