Centre asks AIIMS to review, revise user charges

New Delhi: Availing the treatment at AIIMS may soon get costlier as the finance ministry has asked the medical institute to undertake a review and revise its user charges which have not been revised since the last 20 years.

Deputy director V. Srinivas said AIIMS has been presenting demands for additional allocation amounting to Rs 300 crore in the non-plan expenditures which are of recurring nature, including salaries, consumables, maintenance and establishment expenditure every year.  

“The ministry of finance has observed that there is large deviation between the budget estimates and the revised estimates. The finance ministry has, therefore, advised AIIMS to undertake a review of its user charges. They have not been revised since 1996,” the AIIMS deputy director said.

The director of AIIMS  had recently convened a meeting in which the feasibility of the revision of user charges was discussed.

At present, AIIMS generates Rs 101 crore from user charges, which include OPD charges, diagnostic tests in various departments, radiology charges, in-patient care and room rentals.

Some faculty members opposed the move given that the AIIMS has a mandate for health equity and services are offered to the poorest of the poor and said that revision of charges should not be carried out. “AIIMS is currently examining the proposal,” Mr Srinivas added.