The newly established BJP government is set to present an audit report on Public Health Infrastructure and the Management of Health Services. According to a source familiar with the matter, the report uncovers several deficiencies in the functioning of Mohalla Clinics and AYUSH dispensaries in the national capital, as well as instances of mismanagement during the Covid-19 crisis.
The purported report also highlights the significant underutilisation of funds allocated under the ‘Emergency Covid-19 Response Plan.’ Of the total Rs 787.91 crore released by the Centre for tackling Covid-19, only Rs 582.84 crore was utilised by the previous Delhi government.
A major shortcoming noted in the CAG report is the unutilised portion of Rs 83.14 crore out of the Rs 119.85 crore allocated for essential medical supplies, including PPE kits and masks. Reportedly, these audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General had been pending for nearly 500 days before being taken up.
In Delhi government hospitals, the report exposes a stark contrast between budgetary promises and actual implementation. Despite budget announcements from 2016-17 to 2020-21 aiming to add 32,000 hospital beds, only a meager 1,357 beds were added. The CAG report states that bed occupancy in major hospitals ranged from 101% to 189%, indicating that in many cases, more than one patient was accommodated on a single bed or patients were forced to lie on the floor due to a lack of beds.
Additionally, the report identifies a severe shortage of healthcare personnel, noting 8,194 vacant positions. The maximum shortages were observed in nursing and paramedical staff, with deficits of 21% and 38%, respectively.
The report further highlights long waiting periods for surgeries in Delhi’s hospitals. At Lok Nayak Hospital, patients had to wait 2-3 months for general surgeries and 6-8 months for burns or plastic surgery. The Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (RGSSH) had six idle operation theaters (OTs), ICU beds, and an unused doctors’ hostel. Similarly, at Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital (JSSH), seven modular OTs, CCU beds, and a blood bank remained non-functional.
Among the 27 hospitals in Delhi, the report points out major gaps in critical services. ICU services were missing in 14 hospitals, 16 hospitals lacked blood banks, eight hospitals had no oxygen supply, 15 hospitals had no mortuary services, and 12 did not have ambulance services.
Furthermore, the report states that several CATS ambulances were not equipped with essential life-saving medical equipment. Due to procurement failures, hospitals had to purchase 33-47% of essential medicines directly.