Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has said that the integration of key medical institutions in the city will beneficial for the sector as it would significantly improve medical education and further strengthen healthcare services in the national capital.
The move is also expected to pave the way for a substantial increase in MBBS and postgraduate (PG) seats in the city.
In this direction, the Delhi government is planning to merge Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB), Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI), and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) to create an autonomous institution on the lines of the AIIMS model. In addition, efforts are underway to develop the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) into a second National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS-2).
The CM said a key objective of the project is to significantly increase PG seats so that more doctors could receive specialist training and the quality of healthcare can be enhanced. Similar departments and disciplines currently operating separately across GTB Hospital, DSCI, and RGSSH will be integrated as presently, resources and manpower are fragmented resultomg in underutilization.
Once integrated, faculty members are expected to include assistant professors, associate professors, and professors to be pooled together.
According to medical norms, an associate professor can support two PG seats, while a professor can support three, which means that simply by combining faculty strength, it will automatically increase the number of PG seats.
Similarly, the officials indicate that departments such as radiology, pathology, and anaesthesia are likely to see a significant rise in seats.
Following the integration, a new faculty will be brought on board, which will pave way for PG seats in some specialised departments, that currently do not offer them like the radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, cancer research, and intensive care.
According to the CM, an increase in bed strength, patient load, and faculty numbers will also create strong prospects for expanding MBBS seats in the future.
The government is also planning to develop hostels, modern laboratories, lecture theatres, and other academic infrastructure to ensure a better learning environment for students.
Gupta further said that the initiative is not limited to improving healthcare delivery, but also move in the direction towards expanding medical education and promoting research.
She said the plan would position Delhi as a leading national centre for medical education, research, and advanced healthcare services.