A recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services revealed several discrepancies and irregularities in the healthcare infrastructure over the last six years.
The report which is yet to be tabled by Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta in the Legislative Assembly today suggested that only three new hospitals were completed or extended which were started during the previous regime.
“There were significant delays of upto six years in their completion as well as increase in final costs from the previously tendered costs, showing patent corruption,” it said.
According to the report, the AAP government increased only 1,357 beds in the government hospitals against the budget announcement in the four budget years from 2016-17 to 2020-2021 of adding 32,000 beds.
The report stated that either more than one patient were accommodated on single beds or patients were made to lie on floors.
It also suggested irregularities in spending funds received by the central government during COVID-19.
The previous government used only Rs 582.84 crore of the total available funds of Rs 787.91 crores for talking of pandemic.
Significant among the underutilisation of funds released under several heads was the expenditure over Human Resources. Rs 30.52 crores of the total Rs 52 crores released for the same remained unutilised, demonstrating under-payment to health staffs and lower deployment of health workers for this purpose.
“Also, Rs 83.14 crores of the released Rs 119.85 crores for drugs and supplies including PPE and masks remained unutilised, which clearly illustrates a deliberate inaction towards a severe shortage of medical infrastructure during the period, tantamount to criminal negligence,” the report stated.
The finding also highlighted the shortage of hospital staff including doctors and nurses, leading to long waiting time for major surgeries.
“50-74 per cent shortage of Doctors, 73- 96 per cent shortage of Nursing Staff, and 17 to 62 per cent shortage of paramedic staff have been reported. In Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya (CNBC), the waiting time for paediatric surgery is 12 months. At least 10 major pieces of equipment are not functional in CNBC,” it added.
Moreover, the Health and Family Welfare Department of GNCTD was unable to utilize any of the 15 plots acquired between June 2007 and December 2015 at a cost of Rs 648.05 lakh for establishing hospitals and dispensaries, despite having possession for periods ranging between six to 15 years.
