Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the Centre and the Delhi government to take concrete steps for patients and their family members huddled on the footpath and subway outside AIIMS here and resolve the “pressing humanitarian issue”.
In similar letters to Union health minister J.P. Nadda and Delhi chief minister Atishi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha requested them to work together with AIIMS and charitable organisations to provide permanent facilities for patients awaiting their appointments and families accompanying them.
Rahul had recently visited AIIMS where he met patients and their families camping on roads, footpaths and subways.
“Many of these patients travel from across the country, spend their life savings and wait for months on end for medical care at India’s premier medical institution. I am sure you will agree that no one should face such hardship, especially while already battling serious medical conditions," Rahul wrote.
While the letter to Atishi focuses on providing better facilities, Rahul urged Nadda to reduce the long wait times at each step of treatment and provide patients information about wait times.
The issues he has flagged in the letters have become perennial, given the rush of patients at AIIMS. Though several AIIMS units have been opened across the country, the pressure on Delhi AIIMS has not ebbed.
“The larger systemic issue is that AIIMS Delhi is overburdened because crores of people do not have access to affordable and high-quality healthcare where they live. I urge you, as health minister, to recognise and address this systemic issue. As a first step, the new AIIMS facilities across the country should be operationalised at the earliest," he wrote to Nadda.
According to him, the public healthcare infrastructure should be strengthened at all levels, from primary to tertiary, in partnership with state governments. “Central healthcare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat should be reviewed to reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses as much as possible by expanding eligibility, hospitals enrolled and conditions covered. The sharp rise in the costs of private healthcare also deserves detailed scrutiny,” Rahul wrote in the letter dated January 18.
“I hope the government will use the upcoming budget to review its overall approach, and substantially increase its investment in public healthcare. I request your prompt intervention on this pressing humanitarian issue. You have my full support in any endeavour to reduce the suffering of countless patients and their families,” the Congress leader said.
In his letter to Atishi, Rahul urged the Delhi government to take immediate and timely steps this winter. “More permanent solutions to accommodate patients by building and expanding permanent facilities should also be explored, in partnership with AIIMS and the Government of India, as well as charitable organisations,” he said.
“I request your prompt intervention on this pressing humanitarian issue. You have my full support in any endeavour to reduce the suffering of countless patients and their families,” Rahul said.