Chandigarh, March 31 -- PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal on Monday inaugurated the 14th AMRIT pharmacy on the hospital campus at Nehru Extension block. According to hospital officials, PGIMER now has the highest number of AMRIT pharmacies in public sector hospitals in India. Affordable Medicine and Reliable Implants for treatment (AMRIT) pharmacies are central government-run retail outlets that provide generic and branded drugs at 50% to 90% discount. Calling the 14th AMRIT pharmacy a big shot in the arm for patient care, Dr Vivek Lal said, "Ayushman Bharat is functioning like a 4x4 wheel drive, powering and sustaining the enormous patient load at PGIMER, while AMRIT serves as its backbone by ensuring affordability of treatment." Dr Lal said PGIMER aimed to establish more outlets to further strengthen last-mile delivery of affordable medicines. Acknowledging operational realities, Dr Lal emphasised continuous improvement: "No system is ever 100% perfect, but we are committed to ensuring maximum efficiency and reliability. Issues such as availability gaps and refund timelines are being actively addressed, and we are in communication with the health ministry to further streamline processes." He also underlined the need for robust systems to handle the ever-increasing patient influx. "Given the magnitude of patient load, we are ensuring optimal stocking and seamless functioning of AMRIT outlets so that patient care, particularly under Ayushman Bharat, remains uninterrupted." Sharing future developments, Dr Lal said the Union health minister will be visiting PGIMER on April 27 for the convocation ceremony. During the visit, major facilities including the Neurosciences Centre, Advanced Maternal and Child Health Centre, Critical Care Centre and other key infrastructure projects are expected to be inaugurated. AMRIT pharmacy vice-president Rajesh Nair, PGIMER academic dean Dr RK Ratho and administration deputy director Pankaj Rai were also present at the inauguration....