CAG Report Exposes Gaps in Delhi’s Healthcare System: No ICU in 14 Hospitals, Mohalla Clinics Without Toilets

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has raised serious concerns about Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure, revealing severe mismanagement and a lack of accountability over the last six years. The report, expected to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly today, outlines a shortage of critical medical facilities, underutilization of emergency funds, and poor infrastructure in Mohalla clinics and AYUSH dispensaries.

Key Findings of the CAG Report

1. Critical Services Missing in Major Hospitals

The audit found that 14 out of 27 government hospitals in Delhi lack ICU facilities, severely affecting critical care services. Other alarming gaps include:

• 16 hospitals do not have blood banks, affecting emergency and surgical procedures.
• Oxygen supply is absent in 8 hospitals, a major concern in light of past COVID-19 crises.
• 15 hospitals do not have mortuary facilities, raising questions about the management of deceased patients.
• 12 hospitals are operating without ambulance services, making emergency response ineffective.

2. Mohalla Clinics and AYUSH Dispensaries in Poor Condition

Delhi’s much-publicized Mohalla Clinics, aimed at providing accessible healthcare, are failing at a basic level. Many lack essential facilities, including:

• Toilets for both staff and patients.
• Power backup, making equipment unusable during outages.
• Check-up tables, which are crucial for patient examinations.

Similar conditions were reported in AYUSH dispensaries, highlighting a broader issue of poor healthcare infrastructure planning and execution.

Unutilized Funds and Poor Management

The report also highlights that emergency funds allocated for improving healthcare infrastructure have been underutilized, with no clear accountability on where the money has gone. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, essential facilities have not been strengthened as expected.