CAG report in Delhi Assembly: Shortcomings in Mohall Clinics, health services in abysmal state

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA ) A CAG report on health services under the erstwhile AAP government’s regime tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Friday drilled holes in the implementation of Mohalla Clinics scheme and flagged is shortcomings, besides exposing lack of ICUs, shortage of staff, medicines and equipment in other government hospitals. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the CAG report Performance Audit of ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health services’ in Delhi covering the period 2016-17 to 2021-22 and called it the dark truth about the health model of the previous AAP government. During the day’s proceedings, the report was discussed by BJP legislators who lashed out at the wastage of money, poor implementation of schemes and non-utilisation of infrastructure and shortage of medicine and staff, apart from critical gaps in facilities. CM Gupta vowed not to allow wastage of even a single rupee of public money and promised to bring to book those responsible for corruption. She also took a pledge in the House that her government would not rest even for one day till it fulfils all its poll promises, including cleaning of Yamuna and reactivating the rusted system. Earlier, the CAG report contained the results of the Performance Audit of ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health services’ in Delhi covering the period 2016-17 to 2021-22. It was critical of Mohalla Clinics, one of the flagship projects of the Arvind Kejriwal administration, as well as government hospitals that came under scathing criticism for the gross irregularities, inefficiencies, project cost escalation and under-utilisation of funds. The report also noted that just 53 per cent of planned Mohalla Clinics were built by the Kejriwal government while it also failed to add the proposed 32,000 hospital beds from 2016-17 to 2020-21. It also found that half of the 27 Delhi government hospitals lacked an ICU and 60 per cent of them lacked a blood bank. Major audit findings included shortage of staff in various healthcare institutions, deficiencies in patient care such as non-availability of drugs and equipment in hospitals, delay in distribution of medicines, long waiting time for diagnostic services and surgeries etc., delay in completion of health infrastructure projects, deficiencies in implementation of central and state sponsored schemes under health sector. The CAG report flagged lack of equipment in CATS ambulances and hit out at Mohalla Clinics for lacking basic instruments like thermometers, BP monitors and oximeters. While 41 of 281 Mohalla Clinics in four districts of South, Northeast, Southwest and West remained shut, 74 other clinics elsewhere lacked adequate stock of 165 essential drugs, many clinics had no ramps for the disabled, toilets or drinking water facilities. Above all, almost 70 per cent of patients visiting these clinics got less than one minute of consultation during their visit from October 2022 and March 2023. The report said, “On one hand, a large part of the funds released by the Central Government remained unused in the accounts and, on the other hand, 40 per cent of the registered pregnant women could not even get basic medicines like iron and folic acid.” The CAG report said that during 2016 and 2022, 48.97 lakh women had registered for prenatal care. Out of these, only 29.25 lakh received 100 tablets of iron and folic acid, which is 59.74 per cent of the total registrations. Similarly, only 34.89 per cent of women were given the first tetanus vaccine in pregnancy and 28.10 per cent of women were given the second tetanus vaccine. Taking part in discussion on the CAG report, BJP MLA Harish Khurana slammed the AAP government over cost escalation and overpricing of several projects, due to delays. He said that the CAG report clearly shows the array of irregularities that took place under the AAP government. “In 11 years of their rule, they built just three hospitals and also incurred huge losses to the exchequer. In 11 years of their governance, only 3 hospitals were either built or extended. Indira Gandhi hospital suffered 5 years’ delay, leading to escalation in cost by Rs 314 crore. Similarly, Burari hospital saw cost escalation by about Rs 41 crore,” Khurana said. The CAG report highlights the ‘dire conditions’ of Mohalla Clinics, the much-touted dispensaries started under the stewardship of former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. Adarsh Nagar legislator Raj Kumar Bhatia sought death penalty for all those responsible for playing havoc with the health of Delhi residents. Ghonda legislator Ajay Mahawar hit out at the previous government for not utilising central funds provided for various health schemes and projects. Vishwas Nagar MLA O.P. Sharma described the AAP government “shameless” and accused it of indulging in loot in the name of offering a class health model to the city. “They failed to use the land provided by DDA to build health centres and when it came to purchase of drugs they bought poor quality medicines,” he said. Earlier in the day, AAP leaders protested outside the Assembly against the suspension of 21 lawmakers this week. Ex-Chief Minister Atishi, now Leader of Opposition, also wrote to Speaker Vijender Gupta to flag the ‘severe blow to democratic values’. In response, Speaker Vijender Gupta explained to Leader of the Opposition Atishi the reasons behind his decision to suspend AAP MLAs from the legislature and advised her not to spread “falsehoods and lies”. —https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rekha_Gupta