'Poor and dying can wait because...': Oppn attacks BJP after AIIMS declares half-day off for Ram Mandir event on Monday

Ayodhya Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony: Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Saket Gokhale and other Opposition leaders have hit out at the Centre after Delhi's central government-run hospitals declared that they will remain closed for half-day till 02:30 pm on January 22 due to the Ram Mandir event to be held in Ayodhya. 

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital have announced that they will remain closed till 02:30 pm on Monday.  All services except critical and emergency services will be closed.

TMC's Saket Gokhale attacked the Narendra Modi-led Central government over the decision and said in his post on X (formerly Twitter) that there are people sleeping in the cold outside AIIMS premises waiting for an appointment.

"India's largest govt hospital AIIMS Delhi will remain closed till 2:30 pm on Monday. There's literally people sleeping outside in the cold at AIIMS gates waiting for an appointment. The poor & dying can wait because priority is given to Modi's desperation for cameras and PR," Gokhale said in a post. 

Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal also took a jibe at the ruling party in his post. Sibal said, "AIIMS: Shuts down OPD on January 22nd until 2.30 pm. In Ram Rajya, this would have never happened!"

Reacting to the AIIMS notification, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "Hello humans. Please don’t go into a medical emergency on 22nd , and if you do schedule it for post 2pm since AIIMS Delhi is taking time off to welcome Maryada Purushottam Ram PS: However, wonder if Lord Ram would agree that health services are disrupted to welcome him. Hey Ram, Hey Ram!"

Indian Youth Congress National President Srinivas BV wrote in his post, "If a hospital like AIIMS remains closed till 2.30 pm due to safety of life, so who is to be thanked for those lives will be lost due to lack of treatment?"

Meanwhile, an official told news agency ANI that all appointments are being rescheduled and if any patients arrive, the hospital will try to accomodate them. Evening OPDs will be functioning. The official further said that scheduled surgeries that can wait will be rescheduled but if any patient comes to the hospital with an emergency will be attended to. 

Top sources within the hospital told India Today that the OPD patients who have would be rescheduled from Monday morning will be honored within a week. Safdarjung Hospital announced the registration timing of OPD services on 22 January will be between 8am and 10am.

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