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Plan to increase bed capacity in hospitals

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI SEPT. 27. The Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today declared that her Government had drawn up a unique plan to increase the bed capacity in the Capital's peripheral hospitals in order to ensure that the people do not have to cover long distance to get medical treatment. The effort was not only aimed at bringing down the cost of medical treatment but also bringing such services at the doorstep of the people.

Inaugurating the OPD services at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital at Pitampura North-West Delhi, represented by S.C. Vats of the Congress, the Chief Minister said all the hospitals with 100 beds would have their capacity enhanced to 200 beds under the new plan for expansion of medical services. Also present on the occasion was the Health Minister, A.K. Walia, Dr. Vats, area Councillor, Rajvir Singh with a large number of party workers.

She informed that during the past four years, eight peripheral hospitals of 100 beds were started in different parts of the Capital with the aim to provide the citizens with the best treatment in their area itself. She said the time had gone when people had to rush to Central Delhi and institutions like the AIIMS, RML hospital and Safdarjung hospital for getting best treatment. Now all these facilities were available in the hospital situated in far-flung areas of Delhi, which are equipped with best of the medical equipments. She said in view of the hike in medical cost, the government hospitals were receiving a lot of patients and at times those requiring hospitalisation exceeded the bed limit of the medical facility.

In view of this, it had been decided to expand the bed capacity of these peripheral hospitals. She said the recently opened hospitals at Narela and Karkardooma consisted of 100 beds. She said during the past five years, 16 new hospitals had been started of which 12 had round the clock emergency service facility and four with OPD service.

In his address, Dr. Vats said that during the last five years, the Pitampura constituency had witnessed unprecedented development including strengthening of power and medical facilities. He said the OPD facility in this hospital had been made operational in record 15 months and the obstetrics, ENT and dental services would be made available within the next 15 days. By then two operation theatres would also start. Dr. Vats said emergency service round the clock would also become operational in this hospital during the next three months and efforts are being made to ensure that the hospital is equipped with best modern facilities for which Rs. 52 crores had been set aside.

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