Chandigarh, Aug. 28 -- Nearly 19 days after its inauguration, the newly opened emergency and trauma block at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32, is still struggling to provide essential services under one roof. Patients in need of urgent medical care are facing hardships as critical facilities remain non-functional. The sample collection centre is yet to become operational in the new block, while rooms earmarked for the biochemistry lab, X-ray, and CT scan remain vacant, with no equipment installed. However, patients currently have access only to ECG and ultrasound services. Bheem Singh, who had accompanied his injured friend to the hospital, experienced difficulties while trying to deposit his friend's medical sample at the blood centre. His friend, Aakash, who had been referred from Mohali's civil hospital after an accident, was admitted to the emergency block. Bheem first paid for 11 tests at the emergency block billing counter. However, with the sample collection centre still non-operational in the new emergency building, he had to navigate multiple locations-visiting counter number 44 on the fourth floor of the A block, then the blood centre on another floor-to deposit the samples. He was required to return to these counters later to collect the reports. "I am busy running around depositing these samples, while no one is with my friend in the emergency building to take care of him," Bheem said. "It's confusing to keep going from one place to another. Not everyone is educated or knows how to manage this," he added. Gurdayala Singh, a senior citizen patient referred to the emergency block from Yamuna Nagar, faced several challenges while waiting to get his MRI report on the ground floor of the D block building. Suffering from urinary retention, Gurdayala Singh required urgent scans, including a CT scan. His son, Gurbachan Singh, described his ordeal in transferring his father on a stretcher between different buildings for the CT scan. "Moving the patient on a trolley from one building to another is inconvenient and stressful for both the patient and the attendant," he said. Earlier, CT scan and MRI services were conducted on the ground floor of the D block building, which was closer to the old emergency block. However, with the shift to the new emergency building, the distance to these diagnostic facilities has increased significantly, causing inconvenience for patients on stretchers and wheelchairs who require immediate medical care. An official, requesting anonymity, acknowledged that procuring high-cost equipment like a new CT scan machine, blood test analysers, and defibrillators for the new emergency block may take time. However, the official emphasised that the sample collection centre in the new block can be made operational soon to ease patients' difficulties. The official added that while new machines will eventually be installed in the emergency block, the timeline for their purchase depends on the UT administration's approvals and procedures. Dr Ashok Kumar Attri, former director principal of GMCH-32, said, "The main aim of the new emergency building was to ensure no patient remains unattended on a stretcher and to provide optimum care, and we have been able to achieve that." He added that a decision on the installation of a CT scan machine is still pending, with administration considering a public-private partnership model for it. Despite repeated attempts to reach out to Dr GP Thami, who is currently holding the charge of director principal, and Dr Dasari Harish, the medical superintendent, there was no response....