AIIMS OPD, follow-ups shut ahead of PM Narendra Modi visit – ET HealthWorld

Nagpur: A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here, some OPDs and routine follow-ups remained shut in view of the movement restrictions on the campus which will host a grand function. Already, a part of the OPD building has been out of bounds for faculty, interns, students and patients as the area has been secured by cops.

For the last three days, students and faculty had to take detours to avoid the road close to two huge pandals between the main building, the administrative and academic blocks.

Saturday being a half-day, many faculty members were on leave, officials said. Sunday OPDs are generally closed.

The main gate too would be shut for Sunday till afternoon and only emergency patients would be allowed in. Several patients who need to come for follow up visits were hard hit as they had been on wait list for different investigations.

A 35-year-old resident of nearby Dongargaon village, about 8km from AIIMS Nagpur, said he was sent back on Saturday morning when he took his mother for a follow up visit. “My mother is 55-year-old. Her sonography was done some days back after a wait of 15 days. I had brought her here a month ago when doctor gave her tests and sonography. The reports came on Friday. This was fourth or fifth visit. I will have to come back again on Tuesday as Monday I have other work,” said the villager.

The villager added that because of long queues and mismanagement some fights among patients too happened as to who came first. “Counter staff said the PM is coming and doctors are not coming today. Saturday will be half day so OPDs are shut,” he said.

AIIMS director Dr Vibha Dutta said gate number 4 is open for all and no services were shut. “Our emergency will remain open on Sunday. Patients will be diverted from gate number 1. Emergency route is different from the PM’s,” she said.