NEW DELHI: After starting its Outreach OPD Centre in Jhajjar, Haryana, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is now planning to expand its operation in Meerut, Greater Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad as well.
In a bid to cater to the patients of Uttar Pradesh and the extended areas of the National Capital Region, the extension plan could be seen as quite a significant move. With more centres coming up, it will ease the pressure on its main centre in Delhi and will also be able to serve the patients better.
And interestingly, the strong pitch to ease pressure of the AIIMS in Delhi has come from the Parliamentarians. A parliamentary standing committee on health, headed by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Satish Chandra Mishra, has recommended that satellite centres should also be set up in all these areas so that influx of patients from neighbouring states could be handled by the new campuses. The panel has observed that the lack of quality medical facilities in states like Bihar, UP and Rajasthan force the patients to come to AIIMS, adding pressure on the country’s premier heath institute.
On a given day, the AIIMS registers nearly 11,000 patients from the neighbouring states, whereas the bed strength is only 2,424. This leads to long queues and trouble for the patients. While nearly 35 lakh patients visit AIIMS for treatment in a year, the institute is unable to serve all due to lack of infrastructure and facilities.
To address the issue, the AIIMS had offered to take over a Delhi government-owned super specialty hospital in Janakpuri as part of its expansion programme. However, a cold war between Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government and Narendra Modi-led NDA government seems to be delaying the acquisition process.
The AIIMS authorities have even brought the issue to the notice of the standing committee, stressing why it is importance to acquire the hospital in Janakpuri. Realising the urgency, the committee has also asked the health ministry to speed up the takeover process.
As a part of the expansion plan, the Union Government has also approved a proposal to establish a new OPD at Masjid Moth and also expand the hospital at a cost of Rs 573 crore. And not just that; with 20 acres of land allotted to them, the AIIMS is also expanding its Trauma Centre. At present, the Trauma Centre has 200 beds and after the expansion, the number of beds will go up to 750. And once the expansion plan is over, the AIIMS will be able to add a total of 2,200 extra beds in various departments.
With the AIIMS finally deciding to branch out, the doctors believe they will now be able to serve the patients better.
WHAT’S IN STORE
Comprehensive
Digestive Disease
Centre: 400 beds
National Transplantation Centre: 200 beds
Follow-up and Day
Care Centre: 50 beds
Long-term Neuro and Spine Rehabilitation Centre: 200 beds
Spinal Surgery Centre: 150 beds
Nephrology and Urology Centre: 300 beds
Plastic Surgery Centre:
200 beds
Critical Care Beds: 700 beds
Ultra-modern Operation
Theatres: 50