Ghaziabad: Govt health centres see surge in number of patients in 2024

The officials of the district health department said the rise in the number of patients can be attributed to better monitoring and an increase in resources

The government health-care facilities in Ghaziabad catered to more number of patients in 2024, figures compiled by the district health department.

A few of the residents, however, said the services at government health centres are suitable only for routine treatments. A majority of critical care patients and cases are still being referred to hospitals in Delhi and this situation needs to change. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

According to the department, about 950,000 more people sought treatment in the out-patient department (OPD) of government health-care services during the period from April 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023.

The number of in-patient visitors also rose by about 18,788 during the above mentioned period in 2024 as compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

The figures include those who arrived at the OPD and IPD department of MMG district hospital, district Women’s hospital, Sanjay Nagar combined district hospital, community health centres in Loni, Modinagar, Bhojpur, Bamheta, and Dasna, besides urban primary health centres and urban health and wellness centres.

According to the district health department, 2,156,244 patients visited the OPDs of different government facilities during the period from April 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, and the number surged to 3,115,170 during the same period in 2024, which is an increase of 958,926 OPD patients.

Likewise, 51,547 IPD patients registered during the period in 2023, and the number increased to 70,335 in 2024.

The officials of the district health department said the rise in the number of patients can be attributed to better monitoring and an increase in resources.

“Health-care facilities were extended to Dundahera and Loni with the opening of two new hospitals having 50 beds each. About 84 urban health and wellness centres also became operational, and about 55 new doctors joined in different fields of medicine. So, all this impacted the rise in the number of patients who came to avail themselves of government health-care services,” said Dr Rakesh Gupta, district surveillance officer.

Residents said there is major scope for improvement in government facilities.

“The services there are suitable only for routine treatments. A majority of critical care patients and cases are still being referred to hospitals in Delhi. A majority patients who visit government setups are those who cannot afford huge treatment bills,” said Himanshu Mittal, a former councillor from Kavi Nagar.

“Even after persistent demand for years, the trans-Hindon areas still lack a district hospital. Residents here are heavily dependent on private health-care services, which come at a heavy cost. If one decides to go to a government facility, the patient should be ready to face long queues and uncertainty about the availability of the necessary medicines/tests and staff as well. So, residents have no option but to move to private facilities,” said Mohan Sangwan, a resident of Indirapuram.

The health department officials admitted that there are concerns and gaps in treatment that need to be addressed at the earliest.

“We still need facilities to deal with infectious diseases and patients requiring critical care. The majority of such cases are referred to Delhi. Intensive care units also need to be functional besides the trauma centre. We have an MRI centre that is sanctioned and needs to come up fast. We are also expecting a satellite centre of AIIMS, and this will also help residents in trans Hindon areas. A 100-bed critical care facility is coming up at MMG hospital, and it needs to be expedited,” Dr Gupta said.