New Delhi [India]: Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh on Friday accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of involvement in multiple scams, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to media, Singh asserted that action would be taken against those responsible.
“They (AAP) have only done scams… Even when the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, they did scams. Action will be taken against those found involved in these scams,” Pankaj Kumar Singh said.
His remarks came after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Friday. The report revealed significant shortcomings in the city’s healthcare system, including staff shortages, inadequate facilities, and poor management.
Key Findings of the CAG Report
The 2025 CAG Report on Performance Audit on ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services’ (Report No. 3 of 2024) examined the state of secondary and tertiary hospitals in Delhi between 2016-17 and 2021-22. The audit evaluated the availability of health infrastructure, manpower, and resources, as well as the overall efficiency of health service management in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD).
Some of the major findings include:
- 21% staff shortage in the Health and Family Welfare Department of GNCTD.
- 30% shortage of specialists, including super-specialist doctors.
- Lack of essential medicines, equipment, and consumables in hospitals.
- Deficient facilities, such as dietary services and radiological diagnostics.
- Long waiting times for major surgeries, ranging from 2-3 months to 6-8 months.
The report also pointed to severe management lapses, including delays in the empanelment of drug testing laboratories, staff shortages in the Drugs Control Department, and a lack of accreditation for hospitals and laboratories.
At Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH), waiting times for surgeries in the Surgery and Burn & Plastic Surgery Departments were recorded at 2-3 months and 6-8 months, respectively. Additionally, six out of 12 modular operation theatres (OTs) at RGSSH and all seven at JSSH were lying idle due to manpower shortages.
Concerns Over Ambulance Services and Equipment Procurement
- Many ambulances under the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) lacked essential equipment and devices.
- Radiological diagnostic services at LNH faced long wait times, while hospitals like JSSH, RGSSH, and CNBC underutilized their radiology equipment due to manpower shortages.
- Safety concerns were also raised as Atomic Energy Regulatory Board guidelines were not fully followed.
The Central Procurement Agency (CPA), responsible for procuring drugs and equipment for GNCTD hospitals, was found to be inefficient. From 2016-17 to 2021-22, hospitals had to source 33-47% of essential drugs from local chemists to meet daily requirements.
Out of 86 tenders floated for medical equipment procurement, only 24 (28%) were successfully awarded. The report also revealed instances of medicines being procured from blacklisted and debarred firms.
Additionally, the audit found a shortage of life-saving injections for rare and fatal diseases like Haemophilia and Rabies.
Urgent Need for Reforms
The CAG report has raised serious concerns about Delhi’s healthcare system’s ability to meet the needs of its growing population. The findings highlight the urgent need for structural reforms to address these deficiencies and improve public healthcare services in the capital.