New Delhi, Feb. 20 -- For nearly 13 years, the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Dilshad Garden has had no MRI or CT scan machines, which doctors said, can delay crucial diagnoses and, often, forces patients to pay for the expensive tests at other hospitals out of pocket.

In September last year, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta ordered a complete overhaul of the hospital, which was established in 1993, after a surprise inspection revealed the premier mental health and neurosciences institute has had no MRI or CT scan machine since 2012. Calling the lapse "shocking", Gupta said work on a new IHBAS building with a large outpatient block will begin soon, and equipping the facility with modern diagnostic tools is he...