At All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, one of the leading hospitals of the city, patients can face long waiting times for an MRI scan ranging from a few weeks to as much as three years unless they are VIPs. A recent case highlights a similar issue, where 52-year-old Joydip Dey, went to AIIMS for treatment of a right leg injury at the orthopedic OPD, he was given an MRI appointment scheduled for September 7, 2027.

Staff members admit that long waiting times are common at AIIMS, with many patients facing similar delays for MRI scans and other imaging procedures.

Around 15,000 patients visit the outpatient department at AIIMS every day, and about 10% of them need diagnostic tests like ultrasounds, X-rays, and MRIs. The waiting times for these tests vary greatly, with some patients getting appointments anywhere from six months to three years later.

Joydip Dey, who faced this problem said that as a BPL (below poverty line) patient, he cannot afford treatment at a private hospital in Delhi-NCR, where an MRI scan costs between Rs 18,000 and Rs 25,000.

He added, "I don’t have that kind of money. I can't even afford Rs 4,000-5,000." During his last visit to AIIMS on November 9, the OPD doctor was concerned when he found out that the MRI was scheduled for three years later. He suggested that he get it done immediately, even at a private hospital. When told about the option of going to a private hospital, Joydip said, "I don’t know what to do. I’ve run out of options, so I stopped the treatment," he told TOI.

In AIIMS one can have an MRI done at an affordable and economical rate ranging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000.
In 2022, Dr. M Srinivas, the director of the hospital ordered to keep the MRI machines running 24 hours a day. This was done to make sure that both patients admitted to the hospital and those visiting for outpatient treatment could get their MRI scans without long waiting times. He also mentioned that the number of available MRI appointments would be increased to help reduce the waiting list for scans.

Prof. Rima Dada, in charge of AIIMS' media cell, said that the hospital prioritises patients for scans based on urgency. Emergency patients are given immediate access to X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs. Inpatients, who are already admitted, usually wait around four days for an MRI. Outpatients referred by clinicians for urgent MRI scans fall into the third category, with waiting times ranging from two weeks to one month, depending on the urgency of their condition.