Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Union Health Minister JP Nadda, urging him to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure at all levels, from primary to tertiary, in partnership with the state governments.

In his letter addressed to the Health Minister, Gandhi referred to his recent visit outside the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, and said he was saddened to see hundreds of patients and their family members huddled on the footpath and in the subway in the bitter winter cold, with only thin blankets to protect them, without drinking water or sanitation facilities.

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He pointed out that many of these patients from across the country, spend their life savings, and wait for months on end for medical care at India’s premier medical institution.

Urging to take immediate and timely steps to address the situation at the premier institute, Gandhi said the Government of India should work with the AIIMS leadership, Delhi government and charitable organizations to provide heating, bedding, water and shelter to patients, and expand permanent facilities for accommodation.

In addition, reduce the long wait times at each step of treatment, and provide patients information about wait times, which would help reduce patients’ uncertainty, he said.

Stating that 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, Gandhi urged the 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. In addition, 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,” he said.

Referring to the upcoming Union Budget, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, “I hope the government will use the upcoming Budget to review its overall approach, and substantially increase its investment in public healthcare.”

Gandhi also wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi over the matter and requested her to take immediate steps to provide heating, bedding, water, shelter to the patients seeking medical care from AIIMS, New Delhi.