AIIMS OPDs to remain open today

New Delhi, January 21

Amidst massive opposition, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, on Sunday reversed its decision to shut non-critical services till 2.30 pm on Monday on the occasion of consecration at Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

In a fresh notification, AIIMS-Delhi stated: “As a continuation of the circular dated January 20 from this office, OPD shall remain open to attend to patients with appointments in order to prevent any inconvenience to them.”

Safdarjung Hospital also said registrations in the outpatient department (OPD) will take place between 8 am and 10 am and all the registered patients will be attended to. Though the hospital will run pharmacy services till noon, elective surgeries won’t take place.

On Saturday, AIIMS had announced a half-day break for staff in non-critical services. Though the official memorandum did not mention if the OPD services would be available, it was feared that outdoor patients would not be able to consult specialists during the break.

While the official note mentioned that all critical clinical services will remain functional, the notification sparked outrage, with many pointing out that patients spend a lot of time to get an appointment.