Health Min reviews key reforms, calls for critical care blocks in hospitals

New Delhi: Delhi Health minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Tuesday chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials of the Delhi Health Department, announcing a series of initiatives to strengthen the city’s public health infrastructure under the PM-ABHIM scheme.

Key among the announcements was the directive to identify space within all government hospitals for setting up Critical Care Blocks, aimed at bolstering emergency preparedness. “We must ensure every hospital is equipped with the infrastructure needed to save lives in critical conditions,” Singh said.

The minister also pushed for faster procurement of emergency medicines ahead of the monsoon season. “No government hospital in Delhi should ever face a shortage of medicines,” he said, instructing officials to complete all procurement processes on priority within the prescribed timeline.

Singh further emphasized the need to scale up dialysis facilities, directing that the number of machines in government hospitals be increased to over 300. “Patients must not be forced to travel from one hospital to another for dialysis. We need to ensure better accessibility,” he stated.

A major focus of the meeting was mental health. Citing the success of the Brain Health Clinic at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka, Singh announced plans to replicate the model across all districts. “The Brain Health Clinic at Dwarka is receiving an encouraging response from the public. In line with this, we will be setting up similar clinics across all districts,” he said. He also stressed the need for government hospitals to complete Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) registration, and revealed plans to introduce Model Health Labs offering all basic diagnostic services.

Singh also confirmed that dental care facilities will soon be launched at TIBBIA College, and that more hospitals will be empanelled under Ayushman Bharat, expanding the city’s healthcare safety net.