Scarcity of beds and long waiting lists is a challenge for public hospitals worldwide. This study uses the Barber–Johnson technique to analyse the efficiency of five hospitals of India’s apex medical institute. Four hospital efficiency indicators based on annual hospital statistical reports from 2005–06 to 2015–16 were studied and compared with the respective figures of other countries. Though the results reveal a high efficiency of the five hospitals, there is a high probability of poor health outcomes in future. There is thus a need to redesign processes and to innovate better care models to improve healthcare service delivery.
