Question : EVENING OPD

(a) whether evening OPD has been introduced in Central Government run hospitals in Delhi and other cities;

(b) if so, whether doctors at some leading hospitals in Delhi and other cities are against it;

(c) if so, the details thereof alongwith the steps taken to meet the genuine requirements of supporting staff and also to provide for other needs of the hospitals so as to make the evening OPD equally effective and successful; and

(d) the number of patients attended to by the evening OPD during the last six months, hospital-wise?

MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SMT. SUSHMA SWARAJ)

(a)to(d): The evening OPDs started functioning in Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals and All India Institute of Medical Sciences with effect from 9.1.2003 and in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh from 2.12.2002 in the Speciality of Medicine, Surgery, Eye, ENT, Psychiatry, Pediatrics, Gyne & Obst.

However, these have been discontinued in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Lady Hardinge Medical College & Associated Hospitals and in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh since 1.6.2003.

The doctors of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital are working with the support of existing infrastructure. The number of patients attended to by the evening OPD in Dr. RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital from February to July, 2003 is 14352 and 16307 respectively.