New Delhi: The Delhi Government on Monday approved the plan to construct three new government hospitals here to increase patients' access to secondary and tertiary healthcare.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia headed an Expenditure Finance Committee which approved the projects on Monday. He stated that the construction will commence in the next two months.

"Each of the three hospitals will have around 650 beds as per the initial plan, thereby adding 1,950 beds in total," said Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

The new hospitals will be constructed in Madipur, Hastsal and Jwalapuri areas of Delhi. These locations have been selected given their high population density and lack of government hospital facility in proximity.

Madipur is located in West Delhi and is an urban slum area. Hastsal (near Vikaspuri) and Jwalapuri (in Nagloi) are inhabited by urban, rural and semi-urban population.

The three hospitals will cater to a population of over 40 lakh, who currently travel approximately five km (or 30 minutes) to access the closest government facility.

Apart from increasing access to tertiary healthcare and reducing out-of-pocket expenses of patients, the construction of these hospitals will also reduce the burden on the existing government facilities.

Analysis of the five years data for the Guru Gobind Singh Hospital (which is approximately five km from the Madipur, Hastsal and Jwalapuri) shows that OPD attendance had increased from 5.5 lakh in 2011 to 6.82 lakh in 2016, with continued increase thereafter.

The corresponding increase for indoor admissions is 5,360 patients from 3,490 patients. Construction of new hospitals will enable a reduction in inpatient burden, and increase beds per patient.