Chief minister Rekha Gupta and lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Thursday directed officials to carry out immediate repairs and maintenance at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and nearby government hospitals, citing crumbling infrastructure, overcrowding, and growing criminal activity in the area.

The orders were issued during an emergency meeting attended by Gupta, Saxena, and Delhi health minister Pankaj Singh, following complaints from the deans and directors of MAMC, Lok Nayak Hospital, GB Pant Hospital (GIPMER), and Guru Nanak Eye Centre.

Officials were asked to prepare a plan to build accommodation for 4,000 students and doctors and to boost police deployment in the complex. The dean of MAMC informed the meeting that the hostel capacity was being exceeded by over eight times, with as many as six to seven students crammed into rooms meant for two. Resident doctors lacked proper rest areas, and the overall condition of the buildings had become unsafe, with chunks of plaster and concrete falling off.

Officials said new accommodation could not be constructed because the land earmarked for expansion had been encroached upon by illegal structures