Following a directive from the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has initiated a project to set up approximately 800 beds outside major government hospitals in Delhi. This measure aims to provide shelter to patients and their families waiting for medical treatment amid harsh winter conditions.
The court’s directive highlighted the inadequate shelter facilities at hospitals like AIIMS, RML Hospital, and Lady Hardinge Medical College. In response, DUSIB has established 400 beds outside AIIMS, and 200 beds each outside RML Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College. Additional location scouting is underway to expand these facilities further.
Overcoming land availability constraints, AIIMS has allocated space for temporary structures. DUSIB also operates 350 temporary shelters city-wide, providing essentials such as mattresses, blankets, and drinking water. In the long term, a proposal for a 3,000-bedded Vishram Sadan in Ansari Nagar West is underway.
(With inputs from agencies.)