AIIMS AIIMS in Delhi will now have to wait for 1 year for ortho surgery

There is a huge difference between the demand for ortho surgery and daily operations at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi, due to which the waiting time has increased considerably, which is worrisome.

Ortho Surgeries At AIIMS Delhi: There has been a huge increase in the waiting time for orthopaedic surgery at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi, which was earlier around six months, now it has increased to 12 months. The serious situation has arisen due to the low performance of operation theatres, leaving many patients in a state of despair and uncertainty.

According to the TOI report, only 4 to 5 of the 7 operation theatres are functional due to the inability of the anesthesia department to operate all the OTs. The number of daily surgeries has come down from 30 to 20, leading to increased backlog and longer waiting times.

Emergency services

: While urgent cases such as tumour surgeries and spinal cord cauda equina are categorised as emergency, there are significant delays in scheduling procedures, especially those that affect underprivileged patients coming from far-flung areas. According to the orthopaedic surgeon, the waiting list is constantly increasing due to the inability to maintain a routine surgical schedule.

Though the orthopaedic surgeon had formally brought the issue to the director's notice in October, and medical superintendent Prof Nirupam Madan issued authorisation for the use of all seven operation theatres on November 23, the surgical team is facing restrictions while trying to operate all the theatres simultaneously.

"This is to express our deep concern about the current operational status of orthopaedic operation theatres, which is being adversely affected since July 2024. The anesthesia team is currently allocating just 4 or 5 operation theatres for our use, as a result of which many of our patients are unable to undergo the required surgeries. Several anesthesia faculty members have informed the orthopaedic faculty that they are willing to accommodate all 7 OTs at any time, but are constrained by the instructions of the head of the anesthesia department.

In their correspondence, academicians in the orthopaedic department have expressed concern that the drastic shortage affects healthcare delivery and leads to ineffective use of taxpayer-funded facilities.

He emphasized the need to make full use of these resources to provide optimal services to patients.

According to sources, the orthopaedic operation theatres were renovated in 2018 with an investment of around Rs 20 crore. According to the members of the orthopaedic department, "Under the guidance of former heads of the anaesthesia department — Dr Lokesh Kashyap, Dr Rajeshwari Subramaniam, all 7 OTs worked at full capacity. The department achieved remarkable success in managing many complex surgical procedures and providing excellent patient care, due to this collaborative effort. "

A senior physician told TOI that this was due to inefficient faculty members and senior resident doctors in the anaesthesia department. Last year, five faculty members resigned, two retired and around 15 senior resident doctors left the institute due to a large number of patients.

When contacted, Professor Reema Dada, media in-charge at AIIMS, said the institute was actively recruiting staff in all positions as several new blocks were set up, which had increased the demand. He said that ensuring patient safety is his top priority.