At AIIMS Deoghar, ICU Operates at Half Capacity, Critical Care Unit Still Shut |
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New Delhi: At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Deoghar, the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is operating at half its capacity while the Critical Care Unit (CCU) has not yet started functioning. Despite this, during the meeting of the institute’s apex decision-making body for the financial year 2025-26, there was no discussion on the status of these two vital services.
This information came to light in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by Surendra Pandey, an activist and resident of Giridih in Jharkhand.
AIIMS Deoghar is an Institute of National Importance operating under the Union Ministry of Health. It was established with the objective of providing advanced medical services to a large section of Jharkhand, including the Santhal Pargana regions, making the status of critical medical facilities, such as the ICU and CCU, a matter of significant public interest.
The establishment of AIIMS Deoghar was approved by the Union Cabinet in May 2018. Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a sum of Rs 1,103 crore was sanctioned for the institute at that time. The project envisaged a 750-bed hospital, 20 specialty and super-specialty departments, 15 operation theatres, and advanced medical facilities.
In his RTI application, Surendra Pandey sought details regarding the meetings of the institute body held during the financial year 2025-26, specifically inquiring about any discussions concerning facilities related to the ICU and CCU, bed availability, expansion plans, or existing deficiencies.
The institute body is the highest decision-making body of the hospital. At AIIMS Deoghar, it is chaired by M.V. Padma Srivastava, and also has among other members Lok Sabha parliamentarians Nishikant Dubey and Sukhdeo Bhagat, and Rajya Sabha member Pradip Kumar Varma.
Pandey had also sought information regarding the dates of the meetings, their agendas, details of the discussions held, certified copies of the decisions taken, and the........