AIIMS Delhi is preparing to offer outpatient patients MRI and CT scan tests at empanelled private diagnostic centres within 10 kilometres of the hospital, with the aim of ensuring appointments within four days at affordable rates. The initiative is being developed as a response to long waiting periods for radiology services at the central government hospital.
Around 20 private radiology diagnostic laboratory operators have shown interest in the plan, according to the report. AIIMS is inspecting and verifying their documents before selecting centres that meet the proposed conditions and hold accreditation eligibility from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, or NABH.
The selected centres will have to follow AIIMS protocols and standards. The hospital plans to sign agreements with eligible operators for two years, while the scheme will initially be introduced as a six-month pilot project. Its continuation will be considered after the pilot period.
Under the proposed arrangement, patients referred by AIIMS doctors for MRI or CT scans could be sent to an empanelled centre for testing. Appointments are expected to be available through phone calls and the AIIMS website, with a waiting period of no more than four days after the doctor recommends the test. Patients will deposit the prescribed fee at AIIMS, while the private laboratories will not collect charges directly from them.
AIIMS receives around 15,000 outpatient patients every day, and hundreds of them require MRI or CT scans, according to the report. Inpatient cases are prioritised for radiology examinations, while outpatient patients often face extended waits. In some cases, MRI appointments have reportedly been given three to four years later, even though CT and MRI machines operate around the clock.
The proposed outsourcing model is intended to create additional diagnostic capacity outside the hospital while keeping patient payments within an AIIMS-controlled process. It follows recommendations from the parliamentary standing committee linked to the Union Health Ministry for addressing the diagnostic backlog faced by outpatients.
Dr Reema Dada, who is in charge of the AIIMS media division, said around 20 vendors had applied through the tender process. She said deficiencies had been found in documents submitted by some vendors, but the applicants were instructed to complete the required paperwork and had subsequently submitted the documents. The inspection and verification process is now under way, after which the scheme is expected to be implemented.