Chandigarh, Feb. 25 -- Penalties ordered by the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) have boosted contributions to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) 'poor patients' welfare fund' by 179% in just a year, data shared by the institution revealed. In 2024-25, defaulters deposited Rs.2.5 crore into the fund on court directions, compared to Rs.89.5 lakh the year before, marking a 179% rise. The momentum has continued in the current financial year, with Rs.2 crore collected in the first 10 months (April 2025-January 2026). For many families arriving at PGIMER in moments of medical and financial distress, the poor patients' welfare fund serves as a crucial lifeline. It supports economically vulnerable patients, not covered under government health schemes or insurance, and gives them access to essential medicines, high-end diagnostics, surgical consumables, implants, and emergency interventions ensuring that treatment is never withheld due to inability to pay. The fund is administered through a structured and transparent mechanism to ensure that assistance reaches genuinely deserving beneficiaries promptly and responsibly. Commending the gesture, PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal said, "The rise in contributions has enhanced PGIMER's capacity to respond swiftly to critical cases across specialties such as oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, nephrology, and trauma care, areas where timely financial assistance often makes the difference between deterioration and recovery." He added, "We are sincerely grateful to the Hon'ble Punjab and Haryana high court for adopting a socially meaningful approach by directing costs imposed on defaulting parties towards life-saving support for the underprivileged."...