IHBAS is a major government hospital serving patients with mental health and neurological disorders from across India. Despite its specialist departments and thousands of daily OPD patients, questions remain over its functioning and infrastructure, even as the Delhi government provides substantial annual funding.SnehlataThe Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi’s premier mental health hospital. Our team reached IHBAS at around 8 a.m. As time passed, it became increasingly clear that the hospital’s entiresystem appeared to be unwell.A patient admitted to the hospital’s Drug De-addiction Ward attempted to harm himself. A serious emergency alert- Code Blue was issued. The neuro team rushed to the spot. The patient’s condition was so critical that he could have required a ventilator at any moment.The primary responsibility of a hospital like IHBAS is to care for patients with mental health conditions. At a hospital where monitoring patients with mental health disorders should be a priority, a patient reached a situation where he attempted to harm himself.IHBAS is a government hospital where patients suffering from mental health and neurological disorders come for treatment from across the country. It has specialist doctors and departments including Psychiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Clinical Psychology. Thousands of patients visit its OPD every day.The Delhi government provides crores of rupees in grant-in-aid every year. In financial year 2025-26 alone, around 159 crore was earmarked as grant-in-aid for IHBAS. But what is the situation on the ground?Patients are sent to other hospitals for essential diagnostic tests. Patients spend hours standing in queues. Even the hospital library does not have new books for nursing staff. What do the scenes captured on camera reveal? Let us take a look.Scene OneA Long Queue at Gate Number One. At Gate Number One of IHBAS, a large crowd of patients waits in a long queue for their turn. An Aadhaar card is said to be mandatory for entry. After standing in the queue for a considerable period, our team’s turn finally arrived. During this wait, our team began speaking to patients around us. One thing repeatedly emerged: several patients do not arrive at the hospital only in the morning. Some reach the hospital the previous night itself, so that they can get their turn early in the morning. Some patients told us that doctors generally start arriving at the OPD around 9 a.m.Scene TwoWe Entered the Hospital as PatientsOur team then went inside to examine the system from a patient’s perspective. We entered the hospital posing as a patient. We told the hospital that we were unwell and requested a CT scan. We were told that we would have to go to another hospital for the CT scan.Does that mean the hospital does not have a CT scan machine?Why should patients at an institution as important as IHBAS, a major centre for neuroscience and mental healthcare, have to go outside the hospital for a CT scan? While investigating this, our team reached the section where the CT scan facility is located. Near the Emergency Ward, in the Radiology Department, the door of the CT scan section was found locked.Our hidden camera recorded the situation. We asked the staff about the availability of CT scan services. We were told that CT scans had not been conducted here for four years. Patients were therefore being sent to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital.Off camera, a hospital employee told us that there had been no CT scan machine at the hospital for the past 13 years. If an emergency patient requires a CT scan or MRI, the patient may have to spend thousands of rupees to get the test done outside. There is, however, some relief. A CT scan machine arrived at the hospital in August this year, but the facility has not yet become operational.Scene ThreeNo New Books for Nursing StaffIn the hospital’s library section, sources told us that essential books for nursing staff were not available. Library staff told us that no new books had been added for several years.A staff member said: “Books came four years ago. After that, no new books have arrived.” In other words, updated medical literature is not available for the nursing staff.Scene FourPatients Waiting on the FloorThe OPD is crowded from early morning. Several patients can be seen sitting on the floor while waiting for their turn. Conversations with patients produced mixed responses. Many patients appeared satisfied with the treatment provided by the doctors. But the disorder and mismanagement had turned the treatment process into an ordeal for them.Scene Five: ToiletsNo Water, No SoapThe condition of the hospital’s administrative section is particularly poor. There is a toilet, but no water and no soap. Outside, the water cooler also appears to be of little use. The machine is there—but there is no water.

Scene SixA Patient Lies on a Stretcher, No One Comes to CheckA seriously ill patient remained lying on a stretcher for a considerable period. No one appeared to attend to him. Who was responsible? There was no answer to the question. Nor was responsibility fixed on anyone. With these questions, our team reached the office of the hospital’s Director, Professor Dr Rajendra Dhamija. The Director’s Personal Secretary asked us to wait.Our team was made to wait for 40 minutes before meeting the Director. We were then asked what questions we wanted to ask. We clearly stated that we wanted to ask questions about the functioning and arrangements at IHBAS. After that, we waited. One hour passed. Then another. Eventually, three hours had passed.Finally, the Director appeared as he was leaving his room. We asked him about the condition of the hospital. The Director’s response was brief: “He is not authorised. Please speak to the PRO.”If the Director is not authorised to speak to the media, then why were we made to wait for hours? Anyway, we went to the PRO. But the PRO received a phone call and left without answering our questions. The Director said nothing. But our investigation uncovered another layer of the story.A Woman Gave Birth in the Hospital Washroom; Newborn DiedIn September 2025, a woman admitted to IHBAS gave birth to a child in a hospital washroom. The newborn died. The matter was serious enough for the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take suo motu cognisance. According to official information issued by the NHRC on September 23, 2025, the woman had been admitted to IHBAS on September 7 under a court order. The NHRC sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary of the Delhi government within two weeks. The Commission took up the matter on the basis of the reported allegations and considered it, prima facie, a serious human rights issue.Why the IHBAS Story MattersIt is important to highlight the condition of IHBAS because this is not an ordinary hospital. It is a major government institution providing mental health and neurological care. According to the hospital’s official information, it has departments including Psychiatry, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Clinical Psychology and several allied services. The hospital’s official data records its current bed strength at 317 beds. The August 2026 bed-status update also showed a total of 317 beds. According to a February 2026 report, around 2,500 patients were visiting the OPD every day. Patients do not come only from Delhi. People from neighbouring northern Indian states also come here for treatment. In other words, the population depending on IHBAS is enormous. That is precisely why the questions here also need to be bigger.The final question is simple: The government provides the money. The hospital has specialist doctors. Thousands of patients depend on it. There are buildings and departments. There is a procurement process for medical equipment. Then why do patients still have to struggle for basic facilities?

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