Less than a week after a public interest litigation (PIL) sought Delhi high court’s intervention over the prolonged delay in commissioning Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital’s Rs 400crore super specialty block, authorities said the facility is finally nearing operationalisation, with only the final statutory fire safety clearance pending before the first phase of patient services begins.The development comes a little over three months after TOI highlighted that the completed facility had remained non-operational for over a year because of delays in securing an electricity connection.The issue was subsequently cited in the PIL, filed on July 13 by social jurist Ashok Agarwal, which alleged that the prolonged delay had deprived patients of advanced healthcare facilities andresulted in wastage of public resources.The petition sought court directions to remove the remaining deficiencies, obtain all statutory approvals and make the facility fully operational without further delay.Hospital officials said the first phase will include super speciality outpatient clinics, a dedicateddialysis unit and advanced radiology facilities equipped with CT and MRI scanners, significantly expanding access to specialised treatment and diagnostic services at one of Delhi’s busiest Central govt hospitals.“The inspection process has been completed. Fire officials have carried out operational checks, including access for fire tenders around the building. We are now awaiting the final clearance,” a senior hospital official said.Officials said issues related to parking arrangements, which had earlier been flagged by Delhi Urban Art Commission, have also been resolved, clearing another hurdle before commissioning the facility.The hospital has opted for a phased rollout so that patients can begin using the new block without waiting for the entire complex to become operational.The initial phase is expected to improve access to super speciality consultations, expand dialysis capacity for patients with chronic kidney disease and reduce waiting time for advanced diagnostic investigations.Additional super speciality departments will be introduced in phases as the remaining infrastructure becomes operational, officials said.The ground-plus-11-storey building, with three basements and a helipad, has around 600 beds, multiple ICUs and 17 operation theatres.It has been designed to house nearly 96 super speciality OPDs, including cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology and plastic surgery.Once fully operational, the facility is expected to substantially ease pressure on RML Hospital’s existing infrastructure and strengthen its capacity to provide advanced tertiary care to patients from Delhi and neighbouring states.
