When the cases continued to surge, physical OPD services were suspended from April 22. With stabilisation of the Covid situation in Delhi after the surge of the last few months, AIIMS will be restarting its OPD services in a phased manner.
In this phase, walk-in OPD registration will not be resumed in the hospital. It will be available only to patients with prior appointments. “In view of the considerable decrease in Covid-19 cases, it has been decided by the Director of AIIMS to restart the OPD services in a phased manner at the earliest but latest by June 18, 2021,” read a notice from AIIMS MS Dr D K Sharma.
Walk-in OPD registrations had been suspended in the first week of May following the rise in the number of cases in the city. When the cases continued to surge, physical OPD services were suspended from April 22.
“HODs of all clinical departments are requested to provide the proposed number of new and follow-up OPD patients per day who are to be given online/telephonic appointments. As of now, OPD registration will be done only for patients who are having online/telephonic appointments, and a decision to allow walk-in registrations will be taken later after reviewing Covid-19 situation,” read Tuesday’s notice.
Meanwhile, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said that OPD services are also likely to resume soon at Hindu Rao Hospital. North MCD Mayor Jai Prakash said the civic body has written to the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), seeking permission for OPD services at the hospital to resume.
A senior doctor at Hindu Rao said just ten beds at the facility are occupied by Covid patients currently. “This is a hospital with over 900 beds and more than 1,000 healthcare workers. On an average, there are ten healthcare staff for one person here. It is high time that OPD services are restarted,” he said. Prakash said the corporation cannot resume services on its own, and has thus requested permission from DDMA. “We are hopeful it will be granted soon,” he added.
Hindu Rao was started as a Covid facility on April 18, and it has 250 beds reserved for coronavirus patients.
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