Hospital construction cost surge, operational issues draw Opposition fire
Anshita Mehra
New Delhi, July 4
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav have raised serious concerns over the drastic escalation in the cost of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital construction project and “operational failures” in Delhi’s government hospitals.
Sachdeva highlighted the significant cost increase in the LNJP Hospital construction project. “It is shocking to see how a project started with an approved budget of Rs 465 crore escalated by Rs 670 crore to a new figure of Rs 1,035 crore,” said Sachdeva. “Even a layman knows that tender values are up to 10 per cent above the actual cost, so the initial Rs 465 crore should have included a budget cushion. Yet, the Kejriwal government raised the cost by almost 1.5 times without mandatory approval,” he added.
Sachdeva emphasised that such a significant increase in government project costs was unprecedented. “In this country, we have seen cost increases of 20 to 50 per cent, but this must be the first project to see a 150 per cent rise,” he noted.
Demanding accountability, Sachdeva urged the Delhi Government to explain the abnormal cost rise.
“Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj should stop making political statements and present justification or face consequences after the Central Vigilance Commission inquiry,” he added.
Adding to the criticism, the DPCC president highlighted the severe operational shortcomings in Delhi’s government hospitals. “It is a matter of grave concern that out of 235 operation theatres in government hospitals, 62 are non-functional,” said Yadav.
“Shortage of OT assistants, anaesthetists and technicians have put patients’ lives at risk, as many scheduled operations are cancelled or postponed. At LNJP Hospital, it takes several months to get an appointment for surgery,” he said.
Yadav criticised the recent sacking of 51 paramedical staff and 170 nurses from LNJP Hospital, who had rendered selfless service during the Covid-19 pandemic. “It is shocking that six out of 13 existing operation theatres at LNJP Hospital were shut due to the sacking of essential staff,” he said.
He further pointed out the inadequate number of operation theatres relative to hospital beds in Delhi. “For every 100 beds, there are only 1.71 operation theatres, and 28 per cent of these are non-functional,” he stated.
Criticising the AAP government for its inaction over the past decade, Yadav said, “The consequences of this neglect were evident during the Covid-19 pandemic when many innocent lives were lost due to lack of medicines, medical oxygen, beds, equipment and staff.”
