Patient referrals from Malviya Hospital amid infrastructure shortages
Patients Referred from Malviya Hospital to Safdarjung Due to Bed Shortages
New Delhi: As patients at Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi, struggle with inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of ICU beds, and the absence of diagnostic facilities, hundreds have been forced to seek treatment at major hospitals like Safdarjung, the Delhi Assembly was informed during the recent winter session.
The issue came up after an MLA asked whether the hospital’s capacity would be increased from 100 to 250 beds in view of the rising patient load. In response, the health department responded that the hospital had treated 3.3 lakh outpatients between April and December 2025 and issued 4,591 Ayushman Bharat cards in the area. However, it admitted that the facility lacks CT scan and MRI services.
Also Read:SMS Hospital doctors raise alarm over unnecessary patient referrals
Malviya Hospital is the only Delhi government hospital in South Delhi designated as the district hospital for the area. However, the health department did not provide an immediate comment on possible improvements.
Doctors at tertiary hospitals say such referrals place a heavy burden on their facilities.
"We get many referrals, including from hospitals in nearby districts like GIMS Noida and District Civil Hospital Faridabad. Delhi govt district hospitals like Sanjay Gandhi, Pandit Madan Mohan, DDU, and Indira Gandhi Dwarka top the lists," said a senior doctor at Safdarjung Hospital. "Terminal patients are referred by writing ‘no ICU beds available' or for super-specialty referrals. Often, patients get stuck at Safdarjung, and doubling and tripling happen in crowded wards as there is no one-patient-one-bed policy here," he added, reports TOI.
Doctors at several smaller Delhi government hospitals, including Guru Teg Bahadur, DDU, Malviya, and Ambedkar, said they often had to refer patients to tertiary centres due to shortages of ICU beds, drugs, and essential facilities. Such referrals overload larger hospitals, stretching specialists and emergency wards, with an estimated 60% of tertiary care patients treatable at the primary level, according to Safdarjung doctors.
Also Read:Rs 20 Lakh compensation slapped on Coimbatore Hospital for deficiency in service
