Delhi's Government Hospitals Grapple with Severe Diagnostic Crisis
A young mother recently faced a heartbreaking situation at Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi. She brought her one-year-old child, suspected of having a congenital hearing disorder, to the paediatric OPD. Doctors immediately stressed the urgent need for an MRI scan. Without it, the child risked permanent hearing and speech loss. The critical intervention window was narrow, ideally within the first two years of life.
However, the hospital delivered shocking news. She could only get the MRI done there after a three-year wait. Doctors eventually advised her to visit a private diagnostic center at her own expense. She did not qualify for benefits under the Delhi Arogya Kosh scheme. This case, shared by a senior paediatrician, is not an isolated incident. It highlights a deepening diagnostic crisis across Delhi's government hospitals.
Basic Radiology Services Become an Ordeal
Accessing basic radiology services has become a major ordeal for patients. The situation at Lok Nayak Hospital is actually better than at over a dozen other facilities. Hospitals like Guru Teg Bahadur, DDU, Ambedkar, and Lal Bahadur Shastri lack these essential services. Even critical patients in emergency wards must get their MRIs and CT scans done at private centers.
This ongoing crisis recently drew sharp criticism from the Delhi High Court. The court questioned the government's claims that the city's diagnostic needs were being met through empanelled private centers. A special bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet P S Arora made oral observations. "Imagine not having basic MRI and radiology services in government hospitals," they said. "This means no MRI or CT scan is happening at these government hospitals."
In its January 12 order, the court also flagged concerns about the Arogya Kosh scheme. It directed the government to file a status report, seeking clarity on whether the scheme was even continuing. TOI made multiple attempts to contact top Delhi health department officials regarding the issue. No one replied.
Severe Shortage of Functional Machines
Currently, only three MRI machines are operational across all Delhi government hospitals. These are located at Lok Nayak Hospital, G B Pant Hospital, and Indira Gandhi Hospital. Among these, Lok Nayak Hospital remains the most accessible referral center. It handles a massive load of patients from across Delhi and neighbouring states.
Other major hospitals like Guru Teg Bahadur, Ambedkar, and DDU do not have a single MRI machine. Smaller centers like Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital also lack CT scan facilities. For OPD patients, the wait for an MRI at Lok Nayak Hospital ranges from one to three years. Even admitted patients wait for several days or weeks, unless their cases are deemed life-threatening.
CT scan waits for OPD patients can stretch up to six months. Ultrasound appointments often take one to two months. Doctors say emergency cases are prioritised. However, access still depends on machine availability, staffing roster, and the time of day.
"One MRI machine can handle only 20 to 25 scans a day. But the demand is much higher," said a senior doctor at Lok Nayak Hospital. "We are constantly firefighting." The hospital administration stated that preference is given to urgent cases. Yet, even admitted patients must obtain appointments for CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs.
Failed Promises and Cumbersome Processes
In June 2025, the state health department announced plans. It said diagnostic services, CT scans, and MRIs would start at all government hospitals on a PPP basis at subsidised rates. However, no progress has been made so far.
The Delhi Arogya Kosh scheme was designed as a fallback option. It allows Economically Weaker Section patients living in the city to undergo scans at empanelled private centers when government facilities cannot provide timely dates. In practice, doctors and patients describe this process as lengthy, paperwork-heavy, and slow. It often takes three to four days even for urgent cases.
OPD patients must first obtain an MRI date from the hospital. They then approach the radiology appointment desk, followed by approval from a nodal officer. This process frequently collapses midway due to missing documents or lack of awareness among those accompanying patients.
"There is no provision for emergency MRI under the Arogya Kosh scheme," said a resident doctor. "So, by the time approvals to get one done at the empanelled centres come through, the clinical window is often gone."
Patients Face Dire Choices and Poor Quality Scans
Those who are not eligible under the scheme face difficult choices. Non-EWS patients or those lacking documents to prove Delhi residence have little choice. They must pay from their pockets or wait indefinitely.
Doctors also pointed out another critical issue. Scans done at empanelled private centers through this scheme are often of low quality, requiring a retake. "These centers are minting money. We often need to call them up to obtain further details. It's a lengthy and tedious process," said an ENT surgeon from a hospital lacking an MRI machine. "Scans done at hospitals are of much better quality. I could simply walk up to the radiology department and speak to my colleague in case of queries."
Acute Crisis in Major Hospitals
The crisis is more acute in facilities that lack diagnostic infrastructure altogether. Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital is one of Delhi's largest government hospitals. It is attached to the University College of Medical Sciences. Despite running a postgraduate radiology programme, it does not have an MRI machine.
According to its radiology department, the hospital refers around 2,400 MRI cases annually through the scheme. Doctors say most of these could have been handled in-house. "We have a strong neurology and neurosurgery department, but we can't even do MRIs," a senior doctor said. "Is intervention possible without imaging?"
Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital's burden is compounded by neighbouring facilities. Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital lacks a CT scanner. This forces patients with head injuries to be referred to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. Doctors say this delay is often fatal.
"Stroke guidelines mandate intervention within six hours," a radiologist said. "But how is this possible without imaging?" At Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, a single CT scanner installed in 2012 handles 130 to 160 cases daily. The hospital performed over 30,000 such scans in 2024, up from 26,000 the previous year. Ultrasound services rely on ageing equipment, with several machines more than a decade old.
Doctors say MRI remains the most glaring gap. While a CT scan takes just under a minute, an MRI can take 15 to 30 minutes. This limits throughput to 35 to 50 cases a day at best, further complicating the problem.
Official Promises Versus Ground Reality
Health officials said additional MRI and CT machines are in the pipeline. These include a second MRI machine at Lok Nayak Hospital and new CT scanners at G B Pant Hospital. They pointed out that Indira Gandhi Hospital operates MRI services under a public-private partnership model.
"The services are improving. We are getting one more MRI machine very soon. A 256-slice CT machine will be installed within two to three months. This will reduce the burden on the lone functional machine," said senior officials at Lok Nayak Hospital. They added that emergency patients can get their MRIs done the same day or next day.
However, for doctors and patients navigating this system, talk of future relief barely masks a stressful present. "Residents are not learning, and patients are not being diagnosed on time," a senior radiology resident at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital said. "We live in the capital. An MRI machine is not a luxury."
A resident at Ambedkar Hospital echoed similar concerns. "There is no MRI machine here, which is a big problem. There is a CT machine, but it is overburdened. The shortage of staff in the radiology department is another issue."
Until capacity matches the overwhelming demand, Delhi's government hospitals will continue leaning heavily on private diagnostic centers. This forces thousands of poor patients to wait and hope or cough up cash they can ill afford.
