Total of 13,899 beds being added in Delhi govt hospitals

In addition to the existing capacity of 11,353 beds in 38 Delhi government hospitals, a total of 13,899 beds are being added, according to a report submitted by state Health Minister Satyendar Jain to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

On directions of the Chief Minister, Jain on Tuesday submitted the report on the status of Delhi government's programme for expansion of public health infrastructure in the national capital, read a statement.Kejriwal had asked for the details of the scope and nature of the health department's plan to build new hospitals, expand existing hospitals and add specialised treatment services in existing hospitals.

After receiving the report, Kejriwal said, "The expansion of public health infrastructure in Delhi is unprecedented. It is the largest program for improving access to healthcare anywhere in the world. The total increase in capacity that is currently underway in terms of bed capacity is more than 122 per cent. But this is not just about the number of beds, but also about the quality of facilities provided."The report stated that in addition to the existing capacity of 11,353 beds in 38 Delhi government hospitals, a total capacity of 13,899 beds is being added. Three hospitals, with a capacity of approximately 2,800 beds are set to open in the next six months.The Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka, with 1241 beds will be the largest hospital in West Delhi, with state-of-the-art facilities. Similarly, two hospitals with approximately 772 and 600 beds respectively are nearing completion in Burari and Ambedkar Nagar, it stated.A new Mother and Child Block has been cleared by the Cabinet for Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Khichripur with 460 beds, and the tendering has been completed, the statement read.

Four new hospitals, one each in Sarita Vihar, Madipur, Hastsal and Jwalapuri, with a total capacity of 2,200, will be brought before the Expenditure Finances Committee (EFC) in the coming week. The plans for the construction have already been drawn. Additionally, a 100 bedded hospital each in Bindapur and Siraspur has also been approved, and the tendering will be initiated soon. However, the largest share of the expanded capacity is from the projects to construct new blocks for existing hospitals of the Delhi government. A capacity of 5,739 beds is being added in 15 existing hospitals, with simultaneous re-modelling in all hospitals.By 2023, the government expects all projects to be completed and all new hospitals and new blocks to be ready for operations. "Our goal is to make every single government hospital in Delhi, not just better than private hospitals in the city, but to make them the best hospitals in the entire country. Delhi citizens deserve world-class facilities and we will make that a reality," Kejriwal said.The Health department's report also added that 200 Mohalla Clinics are ready for launch in October this year, and additionally 200 more will be ready by December.