New Delhi: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the capital's health services in the assembly on Friday, February 28.
The seven-page report, one of several the BJP promised to present to expose alleged corruption by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, highlighted underutilisation of central funds during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also criticised the poor state of the mohalla clinics, a key AAP initiative. It further raised issues like the inadequate availability of doctors and nurses, poorly equipped ambulances, underfunded maternal health programmes, and the lack of ICUs, calling it "deliberate inaction" towards Delhi's strained medical infrastructure.
#WATCH | CAG report on Delhi's health infrastructure, one of the 14 was tabled in Delhi Assembly today
— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2025
According to the CAG report, the AAP-led government in Delhi 'grossly' mismanaged the COVID pandemic in the national capital using only Rs 582.84 crore of the total Rs 787.91… pic.twitter.com/4h3BaDtqSw
Mismanagement During COVID-19 Pandemic
The report claims that the AAP government spent Rs 582.84 crore out of the Rs 787.91 crore provided by the Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving a significant amount unused.
This included Rs 30.52 crore meant for hiring and paying staff, highlighting reduced recruitment and underpayment. Additionally, of the Rs 119.95 crore allocated for medicines and essential supplies like PPE kits, only Rs 83.14 crore was utilised, despite widespread reports of PPE shortages during the crisis.
Shortage of Beds and Staff
As per the CAG report, the AAP government added only 1,357 hospital beds between 2016 and 2021, despite budgeting for 32,000. The occupancy ranged from 101% to 189%, worsening the strain on infrastructure.
The report also flagged a shortage of over 2,000 staff across key hospitals, including Lok Nayak and Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya. Janakpuri and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospitals faced a 50% shortage of doctors and 73% shortage of nurses, while Lok Nayak's trauma centre lacked specialists.
Long Surgery Wait Times
Patients in need of major surgeries, including severe burn treatments, had to wait for at least six months at Lok Nayak and up to a year at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, the CAG report noted.
It also revealed that 14 of 27 audited hospitals lacked ICUs, 16 had no blood banks, and 12 did not have ambulances.
Mohalla Clinic Gaps
The report also criticised mohalla clinics, noting that 21 had missing toilets, 15 had no power back-up, and 12 were not accessible for people with disabilities.