AIIMS patients'' kin urged to use nearby night shelters

New Delhi, December 21

With the Health Minister raising concerns about the patients' family members who wait outside AIIMS in biting cold, the institute has started telling such people to avail themselves of the facilities in nearby night shelters.

The hospital staff and social welfare volunteers are doing rounds to ensure that people use night shelters. Hundreds of people can be seen every day braving the cold outside the hospital, most of whom are the family members or relatives of those admitted to the institute.

 

However, the Director AIIMS, MC Misra, said that it is an ongoing process and emphasized that the responsibility should be shouldered by other state governments as well.

"Most of such people are the relatives of the patients and there are facilities for them in the vicinity itself," said Misra.

"We have provision for 500 people at three 'dharamshalas' opposite AIIMs and adjacent to Safdarjung Hospital. There is one night shelter being run by Central Reserve Police Force Wives' Association at Trauma Centre with a capacity of 200 persons," said Misra.

One nigh shelter has been built exclusively for the caretakers of the patients that are admitted to the Cardiac division. "Recently we were approached by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board for building a shelter for 50 persons near Dental Centre," he said. For those who wait for OPD, there are facilities at the 'dharamshalas' opposite AIIMS. 

Another night shelter is also being constructed on the premises of the institute which will accommodate around 200 persons. 

The hospital receives thousands of patients every day from all across the country, the responsibility of whom should be partnered by their governments, said Misra. 

He said that 53 per cent of the patients admitted to AIIMS are from outside Delhi. Uttar Pradesh sends maximum number of patients around 22 per cent, followed by Bihar and Rajasthan, both of which make for 11 per cent of patients each.

"These state governments should also establish some kind of infrastructure for their residents who come here for better and advanced treatment. Even though we have enough facilities, whatever you have will fall short, given the rush of patients," Misra added. 

The institute is also constructing a nine-storeyed building at Trauma Centre which will serve as accommodation for the patients' kin across the year. The project is being funded by Power Grid, the Director said.