MillenniumPost
Delhi

As patients grapple for space, hospitals lie defunct in city

While there is a severe shortage of beds for dengue patients in the hospitals with the vector-borne disease rapidly spreading its tentacles, what comes as a shock is that two Delhi government super speciality hospitals, having a capacity of over 1,000 beds combined, are ready but non-operational.

The concerned agencies, authorised to run these hospitals, have taken no interest in starting any of the two hospitals even after reports of <g data-gr-id="41">huge</g> crisis of beds have hit the Capital. A total of 14 deaths <g data-gr-id="40">have</g> been reported while over 2,000 have been found positive till Wednesday.

As per the report, construction of the West Delhi’s Janakpuri Super Speciality hospital and East Delhi’s Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital in Tahirpur was done by the then government at a cost of Rs 70 crore and Rs 158 crore respectively. The Janakpuri Super Speciality hospital has been constructed on an 8.82-acre plot with a bed capacity of 300 but has only around 50 staffers that include doctors and paramedics. Only the OPD services in the Cardiology, Neurology, and Nephrology departments are operational whereas the indoor services are yet to operate. While the paucity of beds is the biggest concern in the Capital, according to experts, these two hospitals can actually be used to treat dengue patients since the number of cases have shot up alarmingly, said an <g data-gr-id="31">office bearer</g> of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

The Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital spreads over a 13-acre land, which cost the government Rs 88 crore. The hospital is a far cry from the claim of being a super speciality healthcare institute. The hospital, having a capacity of 650 beds, inaugurated in 2003, is currently providing skeletal OPD services in the Cardiology and Gastroenterology departments.

The hospital boasts of having an average daily OPD attendance of about 500 patients, whereas only 200 patients are treated in reality. None of the beds <g data-gr-id="36">are</g> available and no patients are admitted in the hospital for treatment. Officials said the Delhi government has not taken <g data-gr-id="35">interest</g> in operating this hospital ever since it was inaugurated in 2003.

Apart from these two hospitals, the Deep Chand Bandhu hospital in Ashok Vihar, having a capacity of 200 beds, too, is non-operational. There <g data-gr-id="32">are</g> hardly any doctors and staff available and only OPD services are available. While Delhi government is making tall claims of increasing the number of beds for dengue patients, no attention has been paid at operating these hospitals, at least temporarily.
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