Safdarjung doctors express concerns

New Delhi : The Union health ministry has decided to run out-patient departments at the Centre-run Safdarjung hospital for 12 hours a day as a pilot project, with the hospital’s resident doctors association (RDA) demanding recruitment of more doctors for effective implementation of the move.

At present, OPDs in most government hospitals, including in Safdarjung, run for five hours a day, from 8 am to 1 pm with special afternoon clinics being operational for certain ailments like diabetes.

Under the new proposal, the OPDs will be operational from 8 am to 8 pm. “The move is aimed at providing medical services to the patients,” a health ministry official said. Once it is implemented successfully at Safdarjung hospital, the same will be replicated at other Central government hospitals, an official said. However, the resident doctors association at Safdarjung said the move would create more pressure on them.

“We are not against the proposal but the administration has to increase manpower to offer 12-hour OPD service,” a resident doctor said.

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