Lifts shutdown, admn’s apathy leaves patients feeling trapped at PGI

The corridors of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh—usually echoing with the footsteps of hope and healing—were instead filled with frustration and helplessness on Friday morning, as a sudden and poorly communicated shutdown of 11 lifts brought critical areas of the institute to a grinding halt.

Patients, many elderly and persons with disabilities, were left to navigate through ramps in buildings like Research Block A and B, Advanced Pediatric Centre (APC), and Nehru Hospital. Among them were wheelchair-bound patients and their attendants who were struggling to climb to higher floors for tests or consultations.

“It felt like we were invisible,” said 67-year-old cardiac patient trying to reach a third-floor. “No one thought about people like us before shutting down the lifts.”

In its official response, PGIMER admitted that 13 lifts were non-functional as of April 3, and eight of these had been shut down by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for inspection and repair.

By 7.10 am on April 4, a handful—two lifts each from Research Blocks A and B, APC, and Nehru Hospital—had been restored.

What makes the situation particularly alarming was its unforeseen nature—it was long overdue. Sources confirmed that the lifts, aged between 25 to 30 years, had exceeded their operational life span by over five years. Even more troubling, maintenance agencies had earlier flagged them as “dangerous.”

“There was no alternate arrangement besides the ramp access. At least some of the lifts should be working even if it was annual maintenance or inspection day. There were no temporary lifts,” shared a senior resident doctor who requested anonymity.

Chandigarh