I had a chance to visit Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER) continuously for several days because of series of medical-tests required for diagnosis of disease. It was amazing that even very costly medicines were being provided to patients totally free-of-cost. World-class medical facilities including costly screening and blood tests were available there without any cost. In case waiting-period for such medical-investigations like PET scan, CT scan etc was longer, single-window counter at GIPMER provided instant care at private hospital on panel of Delhi Government. I also availed the free-of-cost facility for PET scan at one of such private centers without waiting for even a single day. Staff including senior professors by and large was quite accommodating and cordial for patients.
Already Maulana Azad Institute for Dental Science (MAIDS) is a world-class dental college which ranks number-one in the country beating even private dental-colleges. Already Delhi Government is fast developing another larger building to more than double the capacity of MAIDS. GIPMER has sufficient potential to be at par with MAIDS for being rated number-one government-run health-institute in the country. Unfortunately, politics does not allow good things being done by governments run by opposition parties. It is time that central government may initiate a healthy competition amongst states in regard to best-rated hospitals for motivating other state-governments for betterment in health-services.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
