Project to reserve 80% beds at GTB Hospital for Delhi residents launched

NEW DELHI: Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain on Monday launched a pilot project to decongest Guru Tegh Bahdur Hospital, under which the Delhi government officially notified 80 per cent reservations for Delhi residents who seek treatment at the city government-run hospital.

Residents of the Capital will have to present their local voter ID cards to attain benefits under the preference scheme.

The proposal to give preference to Delhi residents at GTB Hospital in east Delhi's Dilshad Garden was approved in August this year, during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat.

The pilot project was initially meant to be effective from September 15, but was officially notified on Monday.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had announced reservation of 80 per cent beds for Delhi patients. In the IPD, 80 per cent beds will be for Delhi residents, while the rest would be allocated to patients from outside Delhi. As a result, residents of Delhi would get preference at the registration counters, in-patient department (IPD), tests and medicine counter service.

"Out of the 17 registration counters, 13 would be meant for the residents of Delhi, while four would be meant for people from outside Delhi. The identification of the residents of Delhi would be done on the basis of voter identity card. They will be required to present a valid voter card for identification. Minors would have to present the voter identity cards of their parent," the Delhi government said in a statement.

Further, registration cards would be "colour-coded" to differentiate between the residents of Delhi and patients from outside Delhi, it noted.

"Free medicine would be available only to the residents of Delhi with valid voter card. Big tests will be available to only the residents of Delhi. However, simple tests like blood test, X-ray etc would be free for both residents of Delhi and patients from outside Delhi," it added.