AIIMS: Parliamentary panel bats for system to ensure prompt surgery of critical patients

New Delhi: Noting that patients have to wait for "too long" for surgeries and tests at AIIMS in Delhi, a parliamentary panel has recommended putting in place a grading system under which those with severe diseases are served first.

"Straitjacketing" of surgeries on a first-cum-first-serve basis does not do "justice" to the patients having serious complications, the department related parliamentary committee on Health and Family welfare observed on the functioning of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The panel also recommended that all essential medications should be provide free of cost by the institute to patients belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS).

"The committee is of the opinion that a screening wing of each department should be opened which would, depending on the severity of the disease, put in place a grading system under which patients having disease of severe nature can be operated

earlier.

"...and those who have a less serious complication can be operated later as straitjacketing of surgeries on first-cum- first-serve system does not do justice to the patients having serious complications," the panel, chaired by Satish Chandra

Misra, said in its report.

The committee observed that the average waiting time for patients in getting dates for surgeries, various processes and tests is "too long" and it is also aware of the fact that in view of the heavy load of patients, the dates for getting surgeries etc are "unduly" delayed.

"The committee recommends that the institute should devise a screening wing of each department which the committee feels would be much better and practical than the current system of first-cum-first-serve," it said.

It also noted that a definite element of priority should be accorded to the patients coming from outside Delhi as they come to the institute only after exhausting all medical avenues and resources at their place of stay and their plight is worst amongst all the patients visiting the institute.

"As another patient-friendly step, the committee recommends that all essential medications should be provides free of cost by the institute to the economically weaker patients... Moreover, once a patient is admitted in general ward, she/he should not be compelled for any out of pocket expenditure," the report states.

The committee has also asked the premier health institute to create multiple information desks where qualified social workers are deployed to enable a patient-friendly ambiance right from the time a patient enters the hospital.

"The committee feels that these measures would go a long way in making the institute truly patient-friendly and patient-caring," the committee said in its report.

Noting that students are the backbone of AIIMS as in the case of any university, the committee also recommended that the government should ensure that all facilities for academic pursuits, research activities, infrastructure and welfare of students should be put in place on "war footing".

"There should be reservation for AIIMS students in postgraduate entrance examination as is being done in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER).

"It also recommends that PhD candidates should be granted scholarships for the entire duration of their study period.

The committee further desires that professional counselling and other such measures should be put in place to help the students facing difficulty with their syllabi," it said.