Limited facilities in govt hospitals in Delhi, HC told

“These include robotic surgical system, radiotherapy simulators, radiation fee analysers, radiation dosimeter, radiotherapy treatment verification and interfacing system. All very high-end machines,” it added.

The information related to maintenance of Operation Theaters (OTs) and air-conditioning in such hospitals was put before a bench of Justice G S Sistani and Justice A J Bhambhani, through an inspection report carried out by s seven-member expert committee which visited 34 such institutions.

It stated that the “OPD footfall (in Delhi government hospitals) and admissions indicate phenomenal growth of patients. However, the physical infrastructure has not kept pace with this growth”.

“Even a hospital with more than 500 beds and a medical college has limited imaging facilities. Consequently, patients are referred to other hospitals,” it said.

The panel was constituted after the HC was apprised by advocate Prashant Manchanda that government hospitals in the city were “reeling under dilapidated and crumbling infrastructure and other glaring infirmities, striking a bodily blow to the life and liberty of millions of citizens”.

The inspection was carried out in connection with a PIL filed by a teacher from Karawal Nagar, who lost her nine-month-old foetus during delivery at GTB Hospital.

The committee said that “dispensaries, mohalla clinics and polyclinics are also ill-equipped…” Therefore, the “authorities implementing the mohalla clinic project need to be extra cautious and closely monitor patient load factor, per doctor, per clinic.”

It said that in major hospitals, there are issues relating to maintenance of OTs, air-conditioning and maintenance work. “This is reflected in the non-functioning of OTs in major hospitals like GTB, G B Pant, LNJP etc. In fact, one of the OTs in GB Pant is non-functional for more than four years….,” the committee report said.

“The occupancy of wards… is up to 200%. Therefore, the requirements of critical care beds and equipment are much higher than what exists today in these hospitals,” it said.