Delhi LG approves merger of 4 major hospitals into AIIMS-like multispeciality institution

New Delhi: The proposed merger of four major government hospitals in east Delhi into a single autonomous, multispeciality institution modelled on the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has received a major boost, with Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu approving the integration plan, Health Minister Pankaj Singh said on Thursday. 

The proposed institution will bring together Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI), Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) and the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) under a unified administrative structure.

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Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the Delhi government is considering a proposal to merge four major hospitals in northeast Delhi into an autonomous multi-speciality hospital on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in a move aimed at strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the Trans-Yamuna region.

According to the Daily, under the proposal, the four institutions, located in Dilshad Garden and surrounding areas, would be brought under a unified administrative and governing structure.

Singh said the Delhi government had received Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s approval for the integration and would soon invite tenders for the next stage of the process. “We have received the LG’s approval for the integration of the four hospitals. We will soon float the tender for the same. Now trans-Yamuna area will have a multispeciality AIIMS-like institution, that will provide direct benefit to around 6 million population of the area and subsequently to the larger Delhi residents,” Singh said, adding that work was progressing on a fast track to provide subsidised healthcare services, reports Hindustan Times.

The proposed integration seeks to address administrative fragmentation and duplication of services across the four hospitals. Under the plan, their existing governing bodies would be dissolved and replaced by a new autonomous entity with a unified administrative framework modelled on the governance system of AIIMS Delhi.

At present, GTB Hospital is directly administered by the Delhi government and has an attached University College of Medical Sciences. The other three institutions operate under separate societies.

A senior government official said the existing societies would be dissolved and a new governing body established to oversee the integrated institution. The proposed merger is also expected to strengthen medical education and training in the capital.

According to the proposal document, teaching positions across the institutions could be pooled to increase postgraduate medical seats. The government also plans to expand infrastructure to accommodate more undergraduate MBBS seats.

Sharing academic resources, facilities and teaching staff is expected to create opportunities for improved training and research while supporting the hospitals' clinical responsibilities.

Despite the Lieutenant Governor’s approval, the proposal must still receive clearance from the Delhi Cabinet before the integration can be formally implemented.

According to the proposal, obtaining cabinet approval could take around six months. An administrative order formalising the merger would follow, a senior government official said.

Before that, the health department plans to appoint a transactional adviser and an infrastructure consultant through a tender. The consultants will assess how facilities can be shared, help frame rules and regulations for infrastructure use, develop the institutional framework and prepare the cabinet note required for the next round of approval, the official said, reports the Hindustan Times.

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