New Delhi: HL July 26, 2026
A newly introduced outpatient registration arrangement at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has triggered debate after reports emerged that employees can recommend “known patients” for registration under a dedicated “special slot” category.
According to the reported policy, regular AIIMS employees who receive token numbers through the institute’s Employee Health Scheme (EHS) can recommend patients they know for OPD registration. These patients would be accommodated through special registration slots at the main hospital’s EHS counter and super-specialty centres.
The move, however, has raised questions over transparency and fairness. Critics argue that AIIMS has not clearly defined who qualifies as a “known patient,” what eligibility criteria will apply, or how many such special slots will be available each day. The absence of publicly available guidelines has led to concerns about the potential impact on general patients waiting for OPD appointments.
Observers have also questioned the necessity of introducing a separate category when AIIMS employees and their dependents already receive healthcare benefits through the Employee Health Scheme. They argue that without clearly stated rules, the new arrangement could create confusion and fuel perceptions of preferential access.
As of now, AIIMS has not publicly clarified the operational framework of the “known patient” category or addressed the concerns surrounding transparency in OPD registrations. Stakeholders have called for detailed guidelines to ensure that any special provisions do not affect equitable access to healthcare services for the general public.
