With a view to streamline treatment facilities for MPs, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has come up with a set of standard operating procedures that include providing a nodal officer to coordinate and facilitate medical care arrangements.
The move has, however, drawn sharp criticism from a section of doctors who have called out the "VIP culture" at the premier health institute.
The AIIMS, New Delhi, however, tweeted, "AIIMS New Delhi has always had a 24x7 control room for co-ordination of medical care of patients from all walks of life. Residents and faculty from Dept of Hospital Administration work here to ease logistics and expedite treat for poorest of the poor."
In a recent letter to Y M Kandpal, joint secretary at the Lok Sabha Secretariat, AIIMS Director M Srinivas listed the SOPs for outpatient department (OPD), emergency consultation and in-patient hospitalisation of members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
In his letter, Srinivas has said duty officers from the department of hospital administration will be available at the AIIMS control room round-the-clock to coordinate and facilitate arrangements.
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), however, questioned the move highlighting that the special privilege to MPs might come at the cost of ordinary patients.
It said in a tweet, "We condemn VIP culture. 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."
Later, in another tweet, FORDA said, "We stand for 'Janta pehle, pratinidhi baad meyn (people first, representatives later)'. Only VIP in healthcare is a sicker patient. A doctor shouldn't be made to choose."
The AIIMS director has in his letter said the MP's staff can contact 011-26589279, 011-26593308, 011-26593574 or 9868397016 to speak to the officer on duty.
The officer, also a qualified medical professional, will in turn speak to the specialist or super-specialist doctor or the head of the department concerned to fix an appointment, the letter said.
In case of emergency, the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha secretariats or the MP's staff can contact the duty officer, who will guide them to emergency services, it said.
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) also tweeted and shared a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya appealing to him to take cognisance of the issue.
"On one side our Hon'ble @PMOIndia shri @narendramodi Ji says 'There is no #VIP Culture in #India ! But on the other hand @aiims_newdelhi Director #Dr_M_Srinivas releases an letter to promote #VIP Culture! Like past we still stand against #VIP Culture! #SayNoToVIPculture," it tweeted.
