On Monday, the Delhi Government approved the plan to construct three new government hospitals to increase patients access to secondary and tertiary healthcare.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia headed an Expenditure Finance Committee thar approved the projects and stated that the construction will start in the next two months.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that each of the three hospitals will have around 650 beds as per the initial plan, thus adding 1,950 beds in total.

The new hospitals will be constructed in Madipur, Hastsal and Jwalapuri areas of Delhi as these locations have high population density and lack of any government hospital facility in proximity. Madipur is located in West Delhi and is an urban slum area, whereas Hastsal and Jwalapuri are inhabited by urban, rural and semi-urban population.

The three hospitals will provide to a population of over 40 lakh, who at present travel approximately five km to get access the closest government facility.

The construction of these hospitals will also lessen the burden on the existing government facilities, apart from the increased access to tertiary healthcare and decrease in out-of-pocket expenses of patients.

Analysis of the five years data for the Guru Gobind Singh Hospital (approximately five km from the Madipur, Hastsal and Jwalapuri) shows that OPD attendance had increased from 5.5 lakh in 2011 to 6.82 lakh in 2016, with continued increase subsequently.

The corresponding rise for indoor admissions is 5,360 patients from 3,490 patients. The construction of new hospitals will alsoallowa reduction in inpatient burden and increase in beds per patient.

Source: ET Healthworld