CAG report flags complete mismanagement
New Delhi: On Friday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly, which paints a concerning picture of the Capital’s healthcare system under the previous AAP-led government. The performance audit report, covering the period from 2016-17 to 2021-22, outlines severe shortcomings in Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure, focusing on the management of COVID-19 resources, Mohalla Clinics, and public health services.
According to the CAG, the AAP government mismanaged the funds allocated for COVID-19 relief. Of the ₹787.91 crore released by the Central government, only ₹582.84 crore was utilised. This underutilisation of funds raises questions about the efficiency and accountability of the government’s handling of the pandemic crisis.
One of the most alarming findings in the report is the state of Mohalla Clinics, a flagship healthcare initiative by the AAP government. The CAG report states that several clinics were not adequately equipped to provide essential healthcare services. It revealed that 21 of the clinics lacked toilets, 15 had no power backup, and 12 were inaccessible to physically disabled individuals.
Furthermore, it highlighted that 74 Mohalla Clinics were poorly stocked with essential medicines and lacked vital equipment like glucometers, pulse oximeters, and blood pressure monitors. The report also revealed that a significant number of these clinics, 41 out of 218, had been closed for periods ranging from 15 days to nearly two years due to staff shortages or extended leave. Additionally, despite promises to open 1,000 Mohalla Clinics by 2017, only 523 were operational by March 2023.
The performance audit also pointed the struggles faced by emergency services at hospitals, which were hindered by a lack of permanent specialist doctors and severe deficiencies in medical staff. Critical departments like the intensive care units (ICU) were also found to be underperforming. For example, at Lok Nayak Hospital, five out of 12 ECG machines in the ICU were non-functional as of March 2020. Moreover, the ICU had an alarming shortage of medical equipment and experienced delays in surgeries, with waiting times ranging from one to ten months in some hospitals.
In addition to the shortage of medical staff, the CAG audit found a 21 percent shortage of nursing personnel, with some hospitals like GB Pant Hospital facing a deficit as high as 34 percent. Paramedical staff also faced significant shortages, with over 30 percent of positions unfilled in 19 categories, including physiotherapists and occupational therapists. These shortages have directly impacted patient care and led to delays in treatment.
The report further revealed that hospitals struggled with procurement issues, with the Central Procurement Agency failing to supply nearly 47 percent of essential medicines. This forced hospitals to buy drugs from private vendors, often at a higher cost and with the risk of using substandard medicines due to delays in quality testing.
Infrastructure development has also been a major shortcoming, with the government failing to meet its targets. Only 1,357 new beds were added between 2016 and 2021, far below the planned target of 10,000. Furthermore, several healthcare facility projects were delayed by up to six years, and 15 plots allocated for new hospitals remain unused. Financial mismanagement was also a key concern, with ₹510.71 crore under the National Health Mission left unutilised and health expenditure falling below the 2.5 percent of GSDP target set under the National Health Policy-2017.
The report also highlighted several basic deficiencies in hospital facilities. For instance, the new OPD block at Lok Nayak Hospital lacked essential amenities like toilets, forcing visitors to use those in the emergency building. Similarly,
Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya only had one water cooler for the entire hospital, creating inconvenience for patients and visitors alike.
In response to the findings, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seized the opportunity to criticise the AAP government, alleging widespread mismanagement and misuse of funds in healthcare services. BJP leaders, including Delhi
minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, accused Arvind Kejriwal of neglecting public health while making false promises about improving healthcare infrastructure. In contrast, the AAP dismissed these allegations, stating that the CAG report is a
routine process. The party emphasised that the previous government had completed all necessary formalities related to the CAG’s audit and presented the report in accordance with the legal process.
