Pressure on AIIMS Delhi will continue to be more severe in coming years in spite of opening more AIIMS in various states of India

In the interests of one and all ...

My dear countrymen!

If anyone happens to visit AIIMS, Delhi (the only premier institution of India) these days, seeing the unimaginable crowds from all directions & long serpentine Q everywhere, immediately it will come to his mind that here instead of proper treatment to the patient, chances appear to be so that a healthy man accompanying the patient might develop some abnormality.

But the scenario altogether changed after Tata consultancy services (TCS) brought in Dec'2015 by Central Govt. to turnaround the entire mess. Their (TCS) services are so praiseworthy nobody can live without appreciating profoundly. And there is no doubt if they remain at the helm throughout, a silent revolution will soon take place whole of India sooner or later towards better public health services to the common man through coming up more AIIMS, (seven currently in operation & fifteen more in pipeline totalling twenty-two) in other states of India.

I wonder when I recall those years before TCS deployment in AIIMS when People used to stand in long Q since early morning & outside Delhi patients perhaps started to make line anytime after midnight since they were mostly putting themselves with their belongings somewhere around the AIIMS's premises simply for getting an OPD card for the concerned dept. Because that time card issued meant job almost done. This is why total focus of anyone seeking consultations & treatment at AIIMS to somehow obtain the card first by hook or crook because it was an uphill task to get it the same day at first attempt, may be  due to limited number of OPD cards being issued for the day and that too varies with dept to dept. One has to keep on visiting & trying one's luck every day until one gets it.

With more AIIMS coming up in various states, it was obvious to presume that with these being operationalised one by one with even limited capacity, in the beginning, load, eventually, in Delhi, AIIMS will start reducing but very surprisingly the case is just the opposite but likely to increase more with further opening of AIIMS. 

Simply because  the zeal & enthusiasm with which the announcement is made every year either by PM or FM hardly last long to the end, to execution  & operational stage due to common procedural delays, usually takes place  with every govt.'s project unless otherwise there is a clear direction from the top to expedite the same at the earliest on priority. 

Further, with merely 1 to 1.5% of the GDP fund allocations to Health Sector, it appears that this NDA government at the centre hardly keen to provide any substantial relief to the common man at primary & secondly level even in urban areas, leave alone some basic health facilities in villages & rural areas.

People having easily reach to the AIIMS, newly opened in their state with much fanfare, their first choice of treatment, obviously is, AIIMS only for even people like those who never even dreamed of treatment from a prestigious institution like AIIMS. 

Since they (AIIMS) are, unfortunately, having inadequate or no facility not at all in a position to serve them (patients) property, the only easy job, the Drs. or staff available there doing is simply referring all the cases to AIIMS Delhi. This, perhaps, is the only reason the mayhem in AIIMS, Delhi, will continue further until necessary measures are taken urgently to attend the visiting patients satisfactorily there itself to primary/secondary level, at least.

Therefore, it is necessary to understand that merely opening the branches of AIIMS in every state just for name's sake or to get political mileage will hardly serve any real purpose but makes a very poor impression of the Government.

Hence,  to reduce the ever-rising pressure on AIIMS,(Delhi), Govts. must see to it that wherever new AIIMS has opened, it should start functioning with basic facilities as early as possible to somehow meet existing load satisfactorily to reach optimal level later by degree keeping the future load in view with a concrete plan ready.

And for this to happen successfully soon, there must be a full time competent Director having full autonomy & needed fund to hire all types of personnels,  including Drs., Nurses, and faculty members....etc., required to run it properly in a systematic way to begin with & to make it run as a full-fledged Institution/hospital in time bound manner.


Jai Hind.





Writer- Sinha.P.K. Views expressed are strictly personal. Feedback / Criticism welcome at Email -pkmsinha@gmail.com or follow @ pkmsinha.blogspot.in