COVID-19: AIIMS to shut down OPD from March 24 till further notice

New Delhi, Mar 23: AIIMS has issued an order to shut down OPD, including speciality services, all new and follow up patients' registration from March 24 till further orders.

The premier institute had earlier decided to temporarily suspend routine walk-in OPD registration of patients from March 23 as it redirects its resources to control the Covid-19 outbreak.

'It has now been decided that all OPD services including speciality services, all new and follow up patients' registration in AIIMS hospital and all centres will remain closed from March 24 till further orders,' the new circular on Monday said.

On Friday, the AIIMS had issued a circular postponing all nonessential elective procedures and surgeries and directed for only emergency life-saving surgeries with effect from March 21.

The Union Health Ministry has asked hospitals and medical education institutes to procure sufficient number of ventilators and high-flow oxygen masks and advised them to decrease gatherings on their respective premises.