Question : Waiting period in AIIMS

(a) whether the Government is aware that the patients suffering such diseases like heart disease, cancer, diseases of kidney, liver, brain and other terminal diseases have to wait for at least one to two years for getting treatment in AIIMS, Delhi; if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also a fact that such patients die while waiting for the treatment and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government is taking any concrete steps to cope with this situation so that the patients suffering from terminal illness are treated in AIIMS, Delhi itself; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (d) AIIMS, New Delhi, which is the oldest functional AIIMS, faces a demand–supply gap in terms of far more number of patients needing hospitalisation vis-à-vis the number of beds available. To minimise the waiting period of treatment of various critical diseases, various projects such as Mother and Child Block, National Centre for Ageing, surgical block and paid Private Wards have been added. In the casualty/ emergency life-saving situations, all efforts aremade to admit the seriously ill patients in the hospital as far as practically possible. Various clinical departments make their waiting list of patients needing admission according to the patient’s condition, the urgency of treatment required and bed availability.

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.
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