AIIMS Gorakhpur Executive Director Major General (Retd.) Dr Vibha Dutta was taken to a private hospital for a cardiac evaluation after she reportedly felt unwell and fainted at her residence on October 28. The incident drew attention to the fact that the institute’s Cath Lab facility is yet to become operational.
Following the episode, Dr Dutta was brought to the AIIMS emergency department, where her initial examination and vital parameters were found to be normal. After she was stabilised, doctors arranged for her transfer by ambulance to a private hospital equipped with a Cath Lab for further evaluation and to determine whether a pacemaker was required.
Medical assessments at the private facility reportedly indicated that a pacemaker or any such procedure was not necessary. Dr Dutta later returned home and resumed work the following day. She also stated that her test results were normal and that she did not require hospital admission or further treatment.
The episode brought renewed focus on the availability of advanced cardiac care at AIIMS Gorakhpur. Responding to questions over the non-operational Cath Lab, the institute said that nearly 70 per cent of the work required to make the facility functional had been completed. It added that the necessary medical equipment and machinery were in the process of being delivered.
Once operational, the Cath Lab is expected to enable procedures such as angiography and angioplasty at the institute, reducing the need for patients to seek specialised cardiac treatment elsewhere. Reports have indicated that the facility could become operational by December 2026.