Act against the ‘sale of beds’ at Safdarjung Hospital, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday cited a media report, according to which patients are being forced to pay middlemen to get beds at the Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, and sought action against the “rampant corruption”.

The hospital issued a statement rejecting the claims made in the report. “The news has been published without sufficient and reliable evidence and without knowing the side of Safdarjung Hospital administration,” it read.

“A committee of three officers was constituted by the Health Ministry. The committee talked to a large number of patients and their families inside and outside the ICU of Safdarjung Hospital and found that the allegations levelled against the hospital were baseless. A detailed report by the committee will be submitted to the Ministry soon,” it added. 

Referring to the media report, senior AAP leader Dilip Pandey said, “There is collusion between hospital administration and middlemen. Spending thousands of rupees ensures easy access to beds.” He termed the alleged sale of beds a “criminal act” and questioned the silence of the Prime Minister over the issue.

Delhi BJP secretary Harish Khurana advised the senior AAP leader to first check the “corruption” in Delhi government-run hospitals. “Even Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has admitted that touts operate in Delhi government’s Dr. Ambedkar Hospital,” Mr. Khurana said.