Chandigarh, Aug. 9 -- As many as 147 of the total 1,096 medical devices purchased by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in the last five years have been lying unused, the Union health ministry informed Parliament in response to an unstarred question from Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.

The MP had asked whether medical equipment worth crores, including those procured for the Mother and Child Care Centre, was lying non-operational due to incomplete infrastructure. The Ministry revealed 93% of the Mother and Child Care Centre's civil works are complete, and delays were caused due to Covid-19, revision in building plans to meet site and user needs, and compliance with fire safety norms.

The Ministry revealed...