CAG report on Delhi healthcare flags ‘mismanagement’

The BJP-ruled Delhi Government on Friday tabled the CAG report on ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services’ in the Delhi Assembly which paints a picture of systemic failure owing to a series of shortcomings like alarming staff shortages, delays in project execution and critical infrastructure lying idle.

According to the CAG report, the Health and Family Welfare Department in Delhi has been grappling with a severe 21 per cent staff shortage across various cadres, including medical officers, nurses and paramedics, affecting 28 hospitals and colleges in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD).

Hospitals like Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) and Janakpuri Super Specialty Hospital have seen high patient volumes with registration counters overwhelmed and consultation time falling below five minutes per patient in certain departments.

Additionally, the shortage of essential medicines and equipment in intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency departments in both LNH and RGSSH has exacerbated the situation.

Patients requiring major surgeries face waits of up to three months, while even longer delays of six to eight months are common for patients needing treatment in the Burn and Plastic Surgery Departments of some hospitals. The audit also highlighted serious flaws in the procurement system for medical supplies.