AIIMS suspends routine OPD admissions for two weeks

With an increasing number of non-Covid patients being admitted in the emergency department of the AIIMS here, hospital authorities have suspended routine OPD admissions in general and private wards for two weeks.

However, routine OPD services to enable patients to seek medical advice and counselling, which were recently resumed will continue, AIIMS Medical Superintendent, Dr D K Sharma, said.

"In view of the need to optimise usage of available inpatient beds for hospitalisation of seriously ill emergency/semi-emergency patients, it has been decided to temporarily stop routine OPD admissions to general wards as well as private wards in AIIMS hospital and all centres with immediate effect for a period of two weeks which will be reviewed after that," a circular issued by Sharma on Tuesday said.

Emergency patients, who require inpatient hospitalisation in general wards or such patients who are advised private wards hospitalisation owing to emergency and semi-emergency conditions will continue to be admitted.

"Notwithstanding above, EHS (employees health scheme) patients will continue to be hospitalised as clinically warranted," the circular stated.

"The decision has been taken in view of increased admissions of non-Covid serious patients through an emergency, particularly trauma emergency as the Trauma Centre has been converted into a dedicated Covid-19 facility. There has been an almost two-fold increase in emergency admissions," Sharma explained.