AIIMS withdraws SOPs for VIP medical care arrangement for sitting MPs

After opposition from various doctors' associations, AIIMS Delhi has withdrawn the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) earlier issued for the treatment of sitting Members of Parliament at AIIMS.

After much controversy and opposition from various doctors' associations, the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) has finally withdrawn the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued on October 17.

RDA AIIMS has shared the letter of withdrawal on social media that says, the letter dated October 17, 2022, on medical care arrangements for sitting Members of Parliament in AIIMS may be treated as withdrawn with immediate effect.

Doctors' Association Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has tweeted, "We welcome the move by 

@aiims_newdelhi to withdraw the SOPs. Sets the right precedent. Credit where it’s due-@AIIMSRDA worked relentlessly to fast-track this. Also, to all the organisations who made this possible! Different names, similar sentiments- Long live our unity!"

The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) had written a letter to the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and requested the withdrawal of the SOPs.

"We have zero tolerance policy when it comes to inequality in the health care setup because medical care and treatment protocols are patient-specific and not person specific and importance and utmost attention should be given to a person who requires it the most and not because of his/her social status," reads the letter.

Details of the SOPs

The letter was written by the AIIMS Director Dr M Srinivas to YM Kandpal, joint secretary in the Lok Sabha Secretariat, which mentioned an 11-point SOPs to facilitate special arrangements for all sitting MPs.

One of its 11 points was that “all other patients” referred to AIIMS by MPs “will be provided due assistance by the Media and Protocol Division.”

According to these SOPs, AIIMS had decided to deploy duty officers round the clock to act as an intermediary to “coordinate and facilitate requisite medical care arrangements for Hon’ble sitting MPs,” as reported by Indian Express.

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