The Universal Accessibility Provisions in Hospitals of New Delhi, India

Accessibility is an essential component in healthcare infrastructure, considering that it significantly impacts the well-being and experiences of individuals seeking medical care. Accessibility goes beyond mere convenience; it is a matter of equal rights, legal compliance, and fostering an environment, encompassing accessible built infrastructure and information sharing. The study aimed to identify the current status of public hospitals in Delhi regarding compliance with accessibility standards for a barrier-free physical environment and time limit for compliance as per the Right for Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 or the RPwDs Act, 2016. The methodology of the study relied on the Right to Information Act, 2005 or RTI Act of 2005, to request information accessible under the open public domain from 32 public hospitals in Delhi regarding compliance with accessibility standards of the built environment, including the provisions of equal opportunities and access to information as per the RPwDs Rules, 2017. After compiling the results, it was identified that 22 hospitals out of 26 provided the information and were aware of section 45 regarding the time limit stipulated by the RPwDs Act, 2016 while the remaining6 hospitals denied the information at the time of compilation of the data. In addition to this, The study disclosed that though most hospitals were aware of the RPwDs Act, however, the compliance to the RPwD Act, 2016 was not universal and the limit of making the hospital fully accessible was not universally complied with. Further, there is a need to conduct on-site assessments of hospitals that claim compliance to universal accessibility standards.