Doctors on Wednesday said that Delhi All India Institute of Medical Sciences’ standard operating procedures to streamline treatment arrangements for sitting members of Parliament could harm ordinary patients, PTI reported.
AIIMS Director M Srinivas wrote a letter to YM Kandpal, joint secretary at the Lok Sabha Secretariat, on Wednesday saying that duty officers (who are qualified medical professionals) will be available in the hospital control room round-the-clock to coordinate and facilitate arrangements for MPs.
The letter stated that the MP’s staff can contact 011-26589279, 011-26593308, 011-26593574 or 9868397016 to speak to the officer on duty. The officer will then speak to a specialist doctor or the head of the concerned department to fix an appointment at the premier health institute.
In case of an emergency, the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha Secretariat or the MP’s staff can contact the duty officer, who will guide them to emergency services, the letter added.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association, however, said that the privileges amounted to “VIP culture”.
It added, “No patient should suffer at the cost of another’s privileges. That being said, having a protocol to streamline things should not be viewed as derogatory, provided it doesn’t hamper patient care.”
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