Delhi RML Hospital to Open Rs 400 Crore Super Specialty Block After PIL Over Delays
Following a public interest litigation filed in the Delhi High Court, authorities at the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in Delhi have announced that a new Rs 400 crore super specialty block is finally nearing operationalisation. The announcement came less than a week after the legal petition was submitted to address a prolonged delay in commissioning the state-of-the-art facility.
The public interest litigation was filed on July 13 by social jurist Ashok Agarwal. The petition sought urgent intervention from the Delhi High Court, alleging that the year-long delay in opening the completed block had deprived patients of essential, advanced healthcare facilities and resulted in the wastage of public resources.
According to hospital officials, the Rs 400 crore facility is now in its final stages of preparation. The block is currently awaiting only its final statutory fire safety clearance before authorities can begin the first phase of patient services.
The opening of the building had been stalled for more than a year. The prolonged delay was caused by difficulties and holdups in securing a permanent electricity connection for the completed structure. The issue of the power connection and the subsequent non-operational status of the building had previously been highlighted in media reports over three months prior to the filing of the lawsuit.
In his petition, Agarwal requested that the court direct RML Hospital authorities to swiftly remove any remaining deficiencies in the building. The lawsuit also pushed for the hospital to obtain all necessary statutory approvals so the facility could be made fully operational without any further delay.
Once the first phase is launched, the super specialty block will introduce several critical medical services. These will include super specialty outpatient clinics and a dedicated dialysis unit. Additionally, the block will house advanced radiology facilities equipped with new CT and MRI scanners.
The operationalisation of this block is expected to significantly expand access to specialized treatments and diagnostic services. RML Hospital is one of the busiest Central government-run healthcare facilities in Delhi, making the expansion highly critical for local patient care.
