Demand-supply mismatch behind waitlist for AIIMS Delhi, says Govt

New Delhi: AIIMS, New Delhi, the oldest functional AIIMS in the country, faces a demand-supply mismatch in terms of far more patients needing hospitalization vis-a-vis the number of beds available, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said this in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

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On whether a large number of patients have to wait for at least a year for getting treatment in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, particularly for ailments like cancer, neurology and kidney diseases, the minister said, "AIIMS, New Delhi, which is the oldest functional AIIMS, faces a demand-supply mismatch in terms of far more number of patients needing hospitalization vis-a-vis the number of beds available."

To minimize the waiting period of treatment of critical diseases, various projects such as the Mother and Child block, the National Centre for Ageing, a surgical block and paid private wards have been added to the premier institute, he said.

In an emergency or a life-saving situation, all efforts are made to admit a seriously-ill patient in the hospital as far as practically possible.

Various clinical departments prepare their waiting lists of patients needing admission according to the patients' condition, the urgency of treatment required and bed availability.

As far as the OPD is concerned, registrations are done according to the maximum handling capacity of the department concerned and 80 per cent of OPD appointments for new patients are provided online for up to 30 days in advance.

The remaining 20 per cent OPD appointments are provided to walk-in patients, the reply stated.

In addition, patients given dates by their doctors are provided appointments through a single-window exit counter and departmental nodal persons.

As far as the follow-up patients (those with prior appointments as well as those who walk in) are concerned, they are registered or seen by the respective OPDs.

"In order to reduce the load of patients on AIIMS, New Delhi and to correct regional imbalances in availability of tertiary healthcare services, setting up of 22 new AIIMS in different parts of the country has been approved under PMSSY. Six of the AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh are already fully functional."

"The current patient load is being treated satisfactorily and in a timely manner in these new AIIMS," Mandaviya stated in his reply.

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