THE POSTGRADUATE Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh has won the health excellence award at the World Hospital Congress in Taiwan for its initiative to promote eye donation.

In a statement released by the PGI, there were 131 entries from 90 organizations in 24 countries at the World Hospital Congress eyeing top honours. PGI excelled as its initiative to boost eye donation was conferred with the Health Excellence Award for Leadership and Management in Healthcare at the 41st World Hospital Congress organized by the International Hospital Federation in Taiwan.

At an impressive and high-profile award ceremony held in Taipei on Wednesday evening, Professor A K Gupta received this prestigious award on behalf of PGIMER.

Dr. A K Gupta, Medical Superintendent-cum-Head Department of Hospital Administration, PGIMER said “the testimony to the success of this intervention can be gauged from the fact that there has been a whopping 93 percent tangible increase in the rate of eye donation at the institute in the post-intervention phase, which was launched in 2014”.

He added that the increase in eye donation has not only given the ‘gift of sight’ to a significantly much higher number of corneal blind patients but also helped change the reluctant nature of the hospital staff and now they are encouraged to work towards this noble cause.

He informed that their enthusiasm has spilled over into the cadaver donation programme helping PGI run one of the most successful transplantation programmes in the country.