Delhi's AIIMS suspends all routine admissions for two weeks

Delhi's AIIMS suspends all routine admissions for two weeks

TNN | Sep 3, 2020, 04.08 AM IST

NEW DELHI: All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday suspended routine admissions in its general and private wards for two weeks.

Only emergency and semi-emergency cases will be accepted at the capital’s premier hospital for the time being, apart from OPD consultation. Sources said the decision was taken in view of the increasing number of non-Covid patients being admitted in the emergency department of AIIMS. “This is happening due to neglect of non-Covid illnesses, for example a heart ailment or neurological condition, during the lockdown,” said a doctor.

In April, when the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown was in place, 1,288 patients were treated at the emergency ward at AIIMS. The number shot up to 2,726, 3,613 and 4,400 in May, June and July, respectively. In August, the number of patients crossed 4,500, sources claimed.

Dr D K Sharma, medical superintendent at AIIMS, said in view of the need to optimise usage of available inpatient beds for hospitalisation of seriously ill emergency/semi-emergency patients, it has been decided to temporarily stop routine OPD admissions to general wards as well as private wards in the hospital and all centres with immediate effect for a period of two weeks.

“Emergency patients, who require inpatient hospitalisation in general wards or such patients who are advised private wards hospitalisation owing to emergency and semi-emergency conditions will continue to be admitted,” Dr Sharma stated in a circular issued on Tuesday. “Notwithstanding above, EHS (employee’s health scheme) patients will continue to be hospitalised as clinically warranted,” it added.

The AIIMS medical superintendent claimed that there has been an almost two-fold increase in emergency admissions in the past few months. “AIIMS Trauma Centre has been converted into a dedicated Covid-19 facility. So, all emergency cases are being admitted at the main building,” said another senior doctor.

Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, meanwhile, has decided to start routine surgeries for non-Covid patients, in addition to emergency and semi-emergency surgeries, which were on hold since the lockdown was enforced. “All surgical departments will operate on 50% of their allocated operating time initially for routine surgeries,” an order issued by RML on Tuesday stated.

Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital has also decided to restore its OPD services to normal timings. Earlier, the OPD wing was being run for limited duration, while elective surgeries were suspended in view of the coronavirus pandemic.