The best hospitals in Punjab, for most patients, start with PGIMER Chandigarh: it is ranked second in India in the official NIRF 2025 medical ranking and treats patients from all of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and J&K. After PGIMER come AIIMS Bathinda for the Malwa belt, the state’s own medical college hospitals in Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot, and two NIRF-ranked private colleges in Ludhiana. This guide lists them with what each is for and how to get an appointment.
Ranking facts are from NIRF 2025 (Ministry of Education), read on 14 October 2026. Chandigarh is a Union Territory, not part of Punjab, but PGIMER and GMCH-32 are the hospitals Punjab’s patients are referred to, so they are included. NIRF ranks medical colleges on teaching and research, not on waiting time or outcomes.
Table of Contents
Best hospitals in Punjab and Chandigarh in NIRF 2025
| NIRF 2025 rank | Institute | City | Government or private | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | PGIMER (Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) | Chandigarh | Central government | PGI appointment guide |
| 34 | Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH-32) | Chandigarh | Chandigarh administration | – |
| 36 | Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) | Ludhiana | Private | – |
| 47 | Christian Medical College, Ludhiana | Ludhiana | Private | – |
Source: NIRF India Rankings 2025, Medical. Only four institutes from Punjab and Chandigarh are in the NIRF top 50. AIIMS Bathinda, which opened its OPD in 2019, is not yet ranked.
Best hospitals in Punjab run by the government: where to go for what
- PGIMER Chandigarh (NIRF 2): the referral centre for the region, with every super-specialty. New OPD registration is online through the ORS portal or at the counters in the morning. See the PGI online OPD appointment guide, the PGI doctor list and the PGI test rate list.
- AIIMS Bathinda: the central institute for south-west Punjab (Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Faridkot, Ferozepur). OPD runs on the ORS system like other AIIMS. See the AIIMS Bathinda doctor list.
- Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Government Medical College Amritsar: the main state hospital for Majha; the attached medical college is one of Punjab’s oldest.
- Rajindra Hospital, Government Medical College Patiala: the state referral hospital for the Patiala and Sangrur belt.
- Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot: run by Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, serving the Malwa districts alongside AIIMS Bathinda.
- GMCH-32 and GMSH-16, Chandigarh: the Chandigarh administration’s medical college hospital (NIRF 34) and general hospital, both used by Punjab patients when PGIMER is full.
Private hospitals in Punjab that appear in NIRF 2025
Among the best hospitals in Punjab on the private side, two Ludhiana colleges are ranked: Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (NIRF 36) and Christian Medical College, Ludhiana (NIRF 47). Both are teaching hospitals with full super-specialty departments. Corporate hospitals in Mohali, Ludhiana and Jalandhar are not in NIRF because they are not degree colleges, so we do not rank them here.
How to get an appointment at the best hospitals in Punjab
- PGIMER and AIIMS Bathinda: book a new-patient OPD slot on ors.gov.in with your mobile number or ABHA, or register at the counter in the morning. Our AIIMS online appointment guide covers the ORS steps.
- State medical college hospitals: walk-in OPD registration in the morning; carry a photo ID. Punjab’s own Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (merged with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY) covers general-ward treatment at these and at empanelled private hospitals.
- Carry old reports and the referral letter if a district hospital sent you.
- Ask about charges first. PGIMER publishes its rates; see the PGI test rate list.
Do you run a clinic or practise near PGIMER Chandigarh and AIIMS Bathinda? We publish useful, accurate guest articles from registered doctors and clinics. Read our Write for Us guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the No. 1 hospital in Punjab?
PGIMER Chandigarh is the highest-ranked institute serving Punjab, second in all of India in NIRF 2025. Inside Punjab’s borders, the state’s own ranked institutes are DMCH Ludhiana (36) and CMC Ludhiana (47); AIIMS Bathinda is not yet ranked.
पंजाब का सबसे अच्छा सरकारी अस्पताल कौन सा है?
PGIMER चंडीगढ़, जो NIRF 2025 में पूरे भारत में दूसरे स्थान पर है। पंजाब के अंदर एम्स बठिंडा और अमृतसर, पटियाला, फरीदकोट के सरकारी मेडिकल कॉलेज अस्पताल मुख्य केंद्र हैं।
Which are the top 10 hospitals in Punjab?
Going by NIRF 2025 and the state’s referral system: PGIMER Chandigarh, GMCH-32 Chandigarh, DMCH Ludhiana, CMC Ludhiana, AIIMS Bathinda, Guru Nanak Dev Hospital Amritsar, Rajindra Hospital Patiala, GGS Medical College Faridkot, GMSH-16 Chandigarh and the corporate hospitals of Mohali. Only the first four hold an NIRF rank.
Is treatment free at PGIMER and AIIMS Bathinda?
No. Registration is cheap and general-ward care is free for Ayushman / Sarbat Sehat card holders, but tests and procedures are charged at published rates that are far below private hospitals.
Which hospital in Punjab is best for heart or cancer?
PGIMER has full cardiology, cardiac surgery and oncology departments and is the regional referral centre for both. AIIMS Bathinda is building the same departments; check its doctor list for what is running.
Sources checked
- NIRF India Rankings 2025: Medical, read 14 October 2026.
- Institute pages linked from our PGIMER and AIIMS Bathinda guides.
