Amid a massive row, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi today reversed its decision to shut non-critical services till 2.30 pm tomorrow in view of the grand consecration event at Ayodhya Ram Temple.
This comes a day after the premier healthcare facility announced a half-day break for staff in non-critical services. While the official note did not specifically mention if Out Patient Department (OPD) services would be available, it was feared that outdoor patients would not be able to consult specialists during the break.
A memorandum issued by Rajesh Kumar, AIIMS-Delhi’s administrative officer, had yesterday referred to the central government’s announcement of a half-day for government staff tomorrow. “It is notified for information of all the employees that the Institute will remain half day clased till 14.30 hrs on 22.01.2024,” the memorandum said. It, however, added that “all critical clinical services” shall remain functional.
The announcement sparked a huge outcry, with many pointing out that patients wait for weeks, and sometimes, months to get an appointment at the premier healthcare facility. To shut OPD services suddenly would severely inconvenience them, especially those who had travelled from outside Delhi in the hope of good, affordable healthcare at the state-run facility.
This morning, AIIMS-Delhi issued a fresh notification, stating that the OPD “shall remain open to attend to patients with appointment in order to prevent any inconvenience to them and to facilitate patient care”.
Safdarjung Hospital, another key healthcare facility in the national capital, issued a notification today that OPD registration will take place between 8 am and 10 am and all registered patients will be attended to.
