NEW DELHI: The recent audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled in the Delhi assembly on Friday has revealed serious gaps in the national capital’s healthcare system, exposing issues ranging from staff shortages to infrastructure deficiencies.
The 2025 CAG report on performance audit on ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services’ (Report No. 3 of the year 2024) assessed the availability of health infrastructure, manpower, financial resources, and the efficacy in managing health services in Delhi.
The audit covered secondary and tertiary hospitals from 2016-2022, highlighting systemic inefficiencies affecting hospitals, medical colleges, and public healthcare schemes.
1. Severe staff shortages
The report found a 21 per cent deficit in the total sanctioned staff of Delhi’s Health and Family Welfare Department. Shortages were especially acute among teaching specialists (30 per cent), non-teaching specialists (28 per cent), and medical officers (9 per cent).
Nurses and paramedic staff also faced a deficit of 21 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively.
The Drugs Control Department suffered a 63 per cent shortage in key positions like Drug Inspectors, affecting quality control in pharmaceutical services.
2. Overburdened hospitals
High patient load was observed in several hospitals, with some departments providing consultation times of less than five minutes per patient.
The surgical wait time in major hospitals ranged from 2-3 months for general surgeries and up to 8 months for burn and plastic surgeries.
Six out of 12 modular operation theatres (OTs) in Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH) and all seven modular OTs in Janakpuri Super Specialty Hospital (JSSH) remained non-operational due to manpower shortages.
3. Infrastructure deficiencies
The Delhi government had promised an addition of 10,000 hospital beds in its 2016-17 budget.
However, only 1,357 beds were added over six years. Moreover, 15 land plots allotted for healthcare projects remained unused for over a decade.
Only three out of eight planned hospitals were completed within the audit period, delaying the expansion of critical healthcare services.
4. Insufficient drug availability and quality
Essential medicines were frequently unavailable, and substandard drugs were found in hospital stocks.
The Central Procurement Agency (CPA), responsible for supplying medicines, was ineffective, forcing hospitals to procure 33-47 per cent of essential drugs from local chemists between 2016-2022. Some medicines were even procured from blacklisted firms.
Shortages of life-saving injections for diseases like Haemophilia and Rabies were also reported.
5. Regulatory failures in private hospitals
Private hospitals, mandated to provide free treatment to economically weaker sections (EWS), often failed to do so due to weak monitoring.
Nineteen out of 47 government hospitals had not set up referral centers for EWS patients, delaying essential treatments for those in need.
6. Delayed implementation of digital health initiatives
The Health Information Management System (HIMS) and e-Hospital project, crucial for efficient patient care, were not implemented despite budget allocations. Computers purchased for digital records in hospitals remained unused, reflecting poor execution of digital initiatives.
7. Financial mismanagement
Despite high budgetary allocations, there were massive unspent funds. Over Rs 510.71 crore allocated for healthcare was lying unused in bank accounts.
The Delhi state health mission (DSHM) failed to utilise funds under the National Health Mission (NHM), with 57.79 per cent of the total funds for maternal and child health services remaining unutilised.
8. Poor biomedical waste management
Hospitals failed to comply with Biomedical Waste (BMW) management rules. The directorate general of health services (DGHS) did not maintain records of BMW compliance, and healthcare workers were not regularly trained in proper waste disposal.
Additionally, the Atomic energy regulatory board (AERB) guidelines for radiological equipment safety were not followed in several hospitals.
9. Lack of accreditation and quality control
Several government hospitals lacked accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH), affecting quality assurance in patient care.
None of the four laboratories in Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) were accredited by the National accreditation board for testing and calibration laboratories (NABL), raising concerns about diagnostic accuracy.
10. Unfulfilled public healthcare promises
Key initiatives such as generic medicine pharmacies, a health helpline, and telemedicine facilities were not implemented, depriving Delhi residents of critical healthcare support.
Many ambulances under the Centralised accident and trauma services (CATS) were found operating without essential life-saving equipment.
Since the return of the BJP in Delhi after 27 years, the CM Rekha Gupta-led government has stressed the importance of transparency in governance.
The new administration has emphasised the need to bring forward all 14 CAG reports, which were reportedly withheld under the AAP government, to ensure public accountability and improve the healthcare system.