New Delhi, Sep 18 (UNI) Denying disruption in surgeries for non-Covid cases during the pandemic, the Centre on Friday said a total of 3,356 emergency surgeries were performed in Safdarjung Hospital while 5,958 surgeries of non-Covid patients were conducted from March 25 to August 31.
Responding to news reports that planned surgeries had been cancelled/affected due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Health and Family Welfare Minister of State Ashwini Choubey said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that the Lok Sabha that public health and hospitals being State subjects, such information was not maintained centrally.
He said of the three Central Government hospitals in Delhi — Safdarjung, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) and Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) and Associated Hospitals — elective operation theatres were closed from March 18 and elective surgeries resumed from September 1 in Safdarjung Hospital. “However, during the period of March 2020 to September 10, a total of 3,356 emergency surgeries were done in Safdarjung Hospital,” he stated.
In the case of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, the minister admitted that some of the elective surgeries were postponed due to the pandemic. “However, all emergency surgeries were undertaken regularly without any delay. Approximately 5,958 surgeries of non-Covid patients have been performed during the period from March 25 to August 31.”
The minister admitted that planned surgeries were curtailed in Dr RML Hospital during Covid-19 for initial two months. As the lockdown was relaxed, planned surgeries were resumed in a sequential manner. However, he maintained that during the entire Covid period, emergency surgeries were never stopped and round-the-clock emergency surgeries were performed as and when required.
“No planned surgeries were cancelled or delayed in LHMC & Associated Hospitals. All emergency surgeries are being operated with proper screening of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, separate operations theatres were earmarked for surgery of suspected and confirmed cases,” the minister said.
