There are 85 beds available in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AIIMS. On an average, 40 per cent patients admitted in private wards are females. The same holds true for the total indoor hospital clientele.

The committee on empowerment of women during a visit to the hospital felt that there was an acute shortage of space in the Paediatrics and Gynaecology wards of the hospital.

Space constraints had even resulted in the breach of privacy of the patients. Moreover, there was no proper arrangement for the attendants of patients to wait, the committee said in its report tabled in Lok Sabha last week.

The committee was informed by the staff that in the last 40 years there had been no increase in the space provided for the Paediatric General Ward and for the last six years a proposal has been pending for a separate gynaecology wing with additional beds.