AIIMS Delhi records over 50 lakh OPD visits, nearly 3 lakh surgeries in year

New Delhi, Sep 25 (UNI) AIIMS New Delhi recorded more than 50 lakh outpatient visits, over 3.5 lakh admissions and nearly 3 lakh surgeries in the past year, highlighting the enormous scale of patient care at the country's premier public hospital.

The figures were shared by AIIMS Director Dr Nikhil Tandon at the institute's 71st Foundation Day celebrations on Friday, where union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel was the chief guest. Tandon said the numbers reflected the "immense trust" placed in the hospital by patients from across the country. The institute also crossed the milestone of 1,000 robotic surgeries and performed India's first reported robot-assisted kidney transplant in a public sector institution, according to AIIMS. It also doubled its dialysis capacity and conducted more than 300 complex super-microsurgical procedures.

Addressing the gathering, Patel said the scale of AIIMS' clinical work should not be viewed merely as statistics, as every outpatient visit represents an individual or family seeking care, while admissions and surgeries involve patients entrusting their lives to the institution's healthcare staff. "Over the decades, the name AIIMS has become synonymous with clinical excellence and public trust," she said, while stressing that the institution's legacy also brought greater responsibility towards meeting the country's evolving healthcare needs. She said AIIMS should continue to expand its role in advanced clinical care, medical research and capacity building while ensuring that technological advances complement rather than replace human clinical judgment.

Patel also called for greater focus on patient-centred care, including easier navigation of the hospital, clear communication, dignity and safety for patients. The celebrations also saw the inauguration of an exhibition, "AIIMS: Seven Decades of Healthcare Innovation", featuring 95 posters on the institute's milestones and developments. The exhibition, open from September 25 to 27, is expected to see visits by more than 1,500 school students, officials said.

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