NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta presented a damning report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Friday in the Delhi Assembly. The comprehensive 208-page report, titled ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services,’ exposes significant financial mismanagement, delays in critical projects, and a severe lack of healthcare resources under the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Key Findings of the CAG Report
1. Underutilization of COVID-19 Emergency Funds
The Delhi government had allocated ₹787.91 crores to strengthen the healthcare response during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the report highlights that only ₹582.84 crores of these funds were actually utilized. Essential funds earmarked for healthcare workers were also not fully disbursed, with ₹30.52 crores of the ₹52 crore budget left unspent. Additionally, ₹83.14 crores, meant for purchasing crucial medical supplies such as medicines, PPE kits, and masks, remained unused, further exacerbating shortages during the crisis.
2. Hospital Bed Expansion: A Promise Unfulfilled
The Delhi government had pledged to add 32,000 hospital beds to improve healthcare infrastructure. However, only 1,357 beds—just 4.24% of the target—were delivered. This severe shortfall led to overcrowding in several hospitals, with bed occupancy rates soaring between 101% and 189%. As a result, patients were forced to sleep on the floor due to the lack of available beds.
3. Delays and Cost Overruns in Hospital Projects
Several hospital projects suffered prolonged delays, leading to massive cost overruns. Key examples include:
Indira Gandhi Hospital faced a five-year delay, leading to an additional ₹314.9 crores in costs.
Burari Hospital was delayed by six years, resulting in an extra ₹41.26 crore expenditure.
MA Dental College (Phase-II) suffered a three-year delay, increasing costs by ₹26.36 crores.
While three new hospitals were completed, the report clarifies that these projects were initiated by the previous government before AAP took over.
4. Acute Shortage of Healthcare Workers
Delhi’s hospitals are grappling with a massive shortfall of medical professionals. The report details a severe shortage of 8,194 healthcare personnel, including:
A 21% shortage of nurses
A 38% deficit in paramedical staff
Some hospitals reporting a 50-74% shortage of doctors and 73-96% shortage of nurses
5. Prolonged Waiting Periods for Surgeries
Patients in major Delhi hospitals face extended waiting times for crucial surgeries:
General surgeries at Lok Nayak Hospital have a wait time of 2-3 months, while burn and plastic surgeries take 6-8 months.
CNBC Hospital reports one-year waiting periods for pediatric surgeries, with 10 essential medical machines lying non-functional.
6. Underutilization of Critical Hospital Facilities
Despite the rising demand for healthcare services, several key hospital facilities remain idle:
At Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, six operation theaters, ICU beds, and 77 private rooms remain unoccupied.
Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital has seven unused operation theaters, a non-functional blood bank, and 200 vacant general beds.
7. Shortage of Trauma Care Specialists
Delhi’s trauma care system is also under severe strain. The Sushruta Trauma Centre at Lok Nayak Hospital operates without permanent specialists or senior residents, making it difficult to provide 24/7 emergency care.
8. Lack of Essential Medical Services in Several Hospitals
Out of 27 hospitals surveyed:
14 hospitals lacked ICU facilities
16 hospitals did not have blood banks
8 hospitals had no oxygen supply
15 hospitals did not have a mortuary
12 hospitals operated without ambulances
9. Ambulances Without Life-Saving Equipment
The report flagged the dire state of Delhi’s ambulance services. Many CATS ambulances lacked essential life-saving medical equipment, putting patients’ lives at risk in emergencies.
10. Mismanagement of Maternal Health Schemes
Government programs aimed at maternal health have also been plagued by inefficiencies:
Only 30% of pregnant women received free diet and diagnostic services under the JSSK scheme.
40.54% of new mothers were discharged within 48 hours of delivery, increasing the risk of maternal and neonatal complications.
11. Failure of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) in Supplying Medicines
Hospitals were forced to procure 33-47% of essential medicines on their own due to inefficiencies in the Central Procurement Agency, highlighting a severe breakdown in the public healthcare supply chain.
12. Wastage of Government Land for Hospitals
The report also reveals that 15 plots of land meant for new hospitals, worth ₹648.05 lakh, have remained unused since their acquisition between 2007 and 2015.
13. Poor Infrastructure in Mohalla Clinics & AYUSH Dispensaries
The much-touted Mohalla Clinics and AYUSH dispensaries also suffer from serious infrastructure deficiencies:
21 Mohalla Clinics lack toilets, 15 have no power backup, and 12 are not accessible to disabled patients.
Among 49 AYUSH dispensaries, 17 lack power backup, 7 do not have toilets, and 14 lack drinking water facilities.
