CAG Report Exposes Delhi Healthcare Failures

The report is set to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly today. It outlines critical shortcomings across multiple facets of the health department’s operations.

A newly released CAG report on Delhi’s public healthcare system reveals severe mismanagement. It also highlights financial negligence and a lack of accountability over the past six years.

The report highlights that only ₹582.84 crores of the ₹787.91 crores allocated for COVID emergency response were utilized. Funds meant for frontline healthcare workers and essential supplies—such as drugs, PPE, and masks—remained significantly underused. For instance, ₹30.52 crores of the ₹52 crores earmarked for healthcare workers and ₹83.14 crores of ₹119.85 crores for medical supplies were left unspent, compounding the shortages faced during the pandemic.

In addition, the department fell drastically short of its promise to expand hospital bed capacity. The commitment was to add 32,000 new beds. However, only 1,357 were added. As a result, occupancy rates soared between 101% and 189% in nine hospitals. Some patients were forced to lie on floors.

Further compounding these issues are delays in executing hospital projects and significant cost overruns. Only three new hospitals were completed. The previous regime initiated all of them. The delays ranged from three to six years. Cost overruns totaled ₹382.52 crores. Major facilities such as Indira Gandhi Hospital and Burari Hospital witnessed substantial setbacks.

The report also points to an acute shortage of healthcare workers. There are over 8,194 vacancies across key departments. It highlights long waiting times for surgeries. Critical infrastructure includes operating theatres, ICUs, and blood banks. Even basic amenities in Mohalla Clinics and AYUSH dispensaries are underutilized or non-functional. Additionally, inefficiencies in the Central Procurement Agency forced hospitals to independently procure up to 47% of essential drugs.

The report paints a grim picture of systemic failures in Delhi’s public healthcare. There is an urgent need for comprehensive reforms and improved accountability.