Operationalise ICU beds Immediately: Health Minister directs GTB Hospital
New Delhi: In response to serious infrastructure lapses at Delhi's Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital, Health Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh on Monday directed immediate replacement of old and non-functional lifts and called for fast-tracking key upgrades, including the operationalisation of 14 new ICU beds and the modernisation of the Emergency Ward.
The Minister also directed GTB Hospital Medical Director, Dr Vinod Kumar, to review the ongoing development work and submit a detailed report on its progress. The decision follows a news report in June that exposed alarming infrastructural deficiencies at GTB Hospital.
In addition to ordering the replacement of defunct lifts, the Health Minister issued several key directives aimed at improving patient care and safety at GTB Hospital. These included the immediate operationalisation of 14 new ICU beds to strengthen critical care capacity.
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During a comprehensive review meeting with the hospital’s Medical Director and senior officials, Minister Singh evaluated the status of ongoing infrastructure and civic improvement projects at GTB Hospital. He urged authorities to expedite all pending civil works to ensure that patient services are not delayed.
Dr. Singh has directed that all outdated lifts be replaced with modern, functional units without further delay. He emphasised that the recurring elevator malfunctions not only compromise the efficiency of medical care but also pose serious safety risks to patients and staff.
He also stressed the urgent need to upgrade the emergency ward by incorporating ventilator-based monitoring systems and advanced life-support equipment. To enhance safety within the hospital, the minister directed that all exposed electrical wiring in patient areas be promptly covered.
GTB Hospital, a six-floor facility with over 1,000 beds, caters to approximately 6,000 patients daily. Recognising this, Singh has mandated a comprehensive crowd-control strategy. This includes better signage, designated patient flow lanes, and improved access points to ease movement within the six-floor, 1,000-bed facility.
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According to TOI, "Govt continues to prioritise affordable and quality care, with a focus on increasing ICU capacity, upgrading emergency services, and addressing long-pending infrastructure gaps across the city's public health network," the minister said.
The hospital’s lift issues had previously been flagged by hospital authorities to the Public Works Department (PWD), but sustained resolution had remained elusive.
“This is not new… We have seven lifts — at a time, only two or three work, and, sometimes, even they go out of service,” a senior resident doctor from the hospital had said earlier, reports TNIE.
