Chandigarh, May 26 (PTI) PGIMER hospital in Chandigarh here has reported a significant and sustained rise in major surgical workload after it implemented a 12-hour elective operation theatre (OT) system.
Implemented from May 1, 2025, the extension of elective OT timings from 8 am-5 pm to 8 am-8 pm was introduced in response to increasing tertiary-care demands, prolonged surgical waiting lists and the pressing need to optimise bed utilisation and enhance access to timely surgical intervention.
"With this initiative, PGIMER, Chandigarh became the only institute in the country to operationalise a structured 12-hour elective OT model, setting a new benchmark in institutional surgical efficiency and patient-centric healthcare delivery," said a statement issued to mark the one-year anniversary of the new system at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
"The 12-hour elective OT initiative reflects PGIMER's commitment to innovation in patient care and healthcare systems management. Faced with growing surgical demands, prolonged waiting lists and pressure on institutional capacity, we chose to expand possibilities and access to surgical care rather than accept limitations," said Prof Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER.
A year later, the "results speak for themselves", he said.
The initiative has enabled a 10.46 per cent increase in major surgeries, translating into 3,695 additional procedures, improved bed utilisation and faster access to life-changing surgical care for thousands of patients, he said.
Lal further elaborated, "What makes this achievement particularly significant is that the increase has been witnessed in major and highly complex surgeries requiring advanced perioperative support. The initiative has further strengthened PGIMER's role as a national referral centre while ensuring that operational efficiency and quality of care remain uncompromised."
A comparative assessment between May 2024-April 2025 (prior to implementation) and May 2025-April 2026 (post implementation) demonstrated a clear and sustained increase in operative activity, with surgical workload exceeding baseline levels in the majority of months, the statement said.
The findings revealed that nine out of twelve months recorded positive operative growth, highlighting the consistency and sustainability of the initiative.
Particularly remarkable gains were observed in August, which registered approximately 1,210 additional surgeries (plus 54 per cent), and October, which witnessed an increase of nearly 730 surgeries (plus 31 per cent).
The cumulative surgery trend demonstrated progressive divergence from baseline figures, confirming sustained year-long operative growth rather than isolated spikes.
Importantly, the increase was driven predominantly by high-complexity and anaesthesia-intensive specialties, including orthopaedics, neurosurgery, surgical gastroenterology, robotic surgery, transplant surgery and urology, reflecting enhanced tertiary-care capability and improved management of advanced surgical workloads.
A particularly notable finding emerged from orthopaedics OT-22, which demonstrated nearly 80 per cent increase in operative workload, signifying strong utilization of the extended operating hours, the statement said.
The one-year outcome of the 8 am-8 pm elective OT model strongly supports that the initiative has resulted in meaningful enhancement of institutional surgical capacity, improved OT utilisation and expanded access to timely surgical care, representing a major systems-level advancement in perioperative healthcare delivery, it said. PTI SUN SKY
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