Jaipur: A dedicated orthopaedic operation theatre at Pt Deendayal Upadhyay Hospital, Gangori Bazaar, has remained largely unused, with only three surgeries conducted since June despite the facility being sanctioned as part of a full orthopaedic unit by the state govt.Hospital figures show that from Jan 1 to Sept 30, 2026, only 19 orthopaedic surgeries were performed at the hospital. The low number has triggered concerns over the functioning of the sanctioned service and the utilisation of infrastructure created to reduce pressure on SMS Hospital.The hospital functions under SMS Medical College. Until 2018, two orthopaedic units of the college were operating from the hospital. Later, only one unit continued, and now no dedicated orthopaedic unit is functioning there, according to officials.State govt had deployed a full orthopaedic unit for the hospital to strengthen specialist care, manage trauma cases locally and ease referrals to SMS Hospital. However, patients needing urgent orthopaedic trauma surgery are still being shifted to SMS Trauma Centre.“The orthopedic patients go to SMS Hospital for surgery. Now, we do not have a dedicated unit for orthopedics,” a hospital official said.Doctors and staff said the operation theatre was meant exclusively for orthopaedic procedures, but its limited use has left patients dependent on other govt hospitals. The situation has also raised questions about manpower deployment, administrative planning and accountability in operating sanctioned services.
