New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General CAG report on Delhi’s healthcare system has revealed shocking details, exposing severe mismanagement of resources. Despite receiving substantial funds from the central government, a significant portion remained unspent, while hospitals continued to suffer from a shortage of beds and medical staff.
What finding in the CAG Report
🔹 Funds Allocated vs. Funds Spent
The central government allocated ₹787 crore for healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, but only ₹582 crore was utilized.
Out of ₹52 crore meant for healthcare workers, only ₹30 crore was spent.
₹119 crore was designated for medicines and PPE kits, but only ₹83 crore was used.
🔹 Hospital Infrastructure Crisis
Between 2016 and 2021, Delhi was supposed to increase hospital bed capacity to 32,000, but only 1,357 additional beds were added. This led to overcrowding, with multiple patients being treated on a single bed or even on the floor.
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The government constructed or expanded only three hospitals-Indira Gandhi Hospital, Burari Hospital, and MA Dental Hospital-leading to project delays and cost overruns.
🔹 Severe Staff Shortages
Thousands of positions in the healthcare sector remain vacant:
3,268 positions in the Health & Family Welfare Department.
1,532 positions in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
1,036 positions in the State Health Mission.
75 positions in the Drug Control Department.
503 vacancies at Maulana Azad Medical College.
581 vacancies at Lok Nayak Hospital.
579 vacancies at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.
Due to these shortages, patients face months-long waiting times for crucial surgeries:
2–3 months for general surgeries.
6–8 months for burn and plastic surgeries.
12 months for pediatric surgeries at CNBC and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya.
🔹 Mohalla Clinics Exposed
AAP frequently boasts about its Mohalla Clinics, but the CAG report paints a different picture:
21 clinics lack basic toilet facilities.
15 clinics have no power backup.
6 clinics do not even have examination tables.
Doctors reportedly spend less than a minute per patient, compromising healthcare quality.
🔹 Dilapidated State of Major Hospitals
At Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital, multiple facilities-including six modular and semi-modular operation theaters, transplant ICUs, and private wards-remain non-functional.
Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya has at least 10 essential medical devices that are not in working condition.
AAP’s Healthcare Claims in Question
The CAG report directly contradicts the AAP government’s claims of improving Delhi’s healthcare system. With empty promises, incomplete projects, and severe infrastructure gaps, the report raises serious concerns about mismanagement and lack of accountability in the capital’s health sector.