CAG Report in Delhi Assembly: Flaws in Mohalla Clinics and Dismal Health Services

New Delhi, Feb 28 (NationPress) A CAG report regarding health services during the previous AAP government's tenure was presented in the Delhi Assembly on Friday. The report criticized the execution of the Mohalla Clinics scheme, highlighting its shortcomings and revealing the absence of ICUs, as well as a lack of staff, medicines, and equipment in various government hospitals.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta introduced the CAG report titled Performance Audit of ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health services’ in Delhi for the years 2016-17 to 2021-22, describing it as the grim reality of the health model established by the former AAP administration.

During the day's discussions, BJP legislators criticized the misuse of funds, ineffective execution of schemes, and the underutilization of resources, coupled with a shortage of medicines and personnel, in addition to critical gaps in healthcare facilities.

CM Gupta committed to ensuring that not a single rupee of public funds would be wasted and vowed to hold accountable anyone involved in corruption.

She also pledged that her government would tirelessly work to fulfill all electoral promises, including cleaning the Yamuna River and revitalizing the neglected health system.

The CAG report detailed the findings from the Performance Audit of ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health services’ in Delhi, covering the years 2016-17 to 2021-22.

The report was particularly harsh on Mohalla Clinics, one of the hallmark initiatives of Arvind Kejriwal's administration, along with government hospitals, which faced severe criticism for gross irregularities, inefficiencies, project cost overruns, and underutilization of funds.

It was noted that only 53 percent of the planned Mohalla Clinics were constructed by the Kejriwal government, and the government failed to provide the anticipated 32,000 hospital beds from 2016-17 to 2020-21. Additionally, it was found that half of the 27 Delhi government hospitals did not have an ICU, and 60 percent lacked a blood bank.

Key audit findings pointed to a shortage of staff across various healthcare facilities, issues in patient care such as the lack of drugs and equipment in hospitals, delays in medicine distribution, lengthy wait times for diagnostic services and surgeries, as well as delays in completing health infrastructure projects and deficiencies in implementing centrally and state-sponsored health schemes.

The CAG report also highlighted the absence of necessary equipment in CATS ambulances and criticized Mohalla Clinics for lacking basic tools such as thermometers, BP monitors, and oximeters.

Out of the 281 Mohalla Clinics in four districts—South, Northeast, Southwest, and West—41 were closed, and 74 clinics in other areas lacked adequate supplies of 165 essential medications. Many clinics were found to be without ramps for the disabled, toilets, or drinking water.

Significantly, around 70 percent of patients visiting these clinics received less than one minute of consultation between October 2022 and March 2023.

The report stated, “On one hand, a significant portion of the funds allocated by the Central Government remained unspent, while on the other hand, 40 percent of registered pregnant women could not access basic medications such as iron and folic acid.”

The CAG report indicated that between 2016 and 2022, 48.97 lakh women registered for prenatal care, yet only 29.25 lakh received the full amount of iron and folic acid tablets, which is 59.74 percent of total registrations. Similarly, only 34.89 percent of women received the first tetanus vaccine during pregnancy, and 28.10 percent received the second dose.

During the discussion of the CAG report, BJP MLA Harish Khurana criticized the AAP government for cost overruns and inflated pricing on numerous projects due to delays.

He stated that the CAG report clearly illustrates the multitude of irregularities that occurred under the AAP government.

“In the past 11 years of their rule, they constructed merely three hospitals, incurring substantial losses to the exchequer. In 11 years, only three hospitals were either built or upgraded. The Indira Gandhi hospital faced a five-year delay, resulting in a cost increase of Rs 314 crore. Likewise, Burari hospital experienced a cost increase of approximately Rs 41 crore,” Khurana said.

The CAG report underscores the dire conditions of Mohalla Clinics, which were heavily promoted under the leadership of former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Adarsh Nagar legislator Raj Kumar Bhatia called for the death penalty for those responsible for jeopardizing the health of Delhi residents.

Ghonda legislator Ajay Mahawar criticized the previous government for failing to utilize central funds allocated for various health schemes and projects.

Vishwas Nagar MLA O.P. Sharma referred to the AAP government as “shameless,” accusing it of exploiting the situation under the guise of providing a robust health model to the city.

“They failed to utilize the land allocated by DDA for health center construction and resorted to purchasing poor-quality medications,” he asserted.

Earlier in the day, AAP leaders protested outside the Assembly against the suspension of 21 lawmakers this week. Ex-Chief Minister Atishi, now the Leader of Opposition, also wrote to Speaker Vijender Gupta to express concerns about the “serious blow to democratic values.”

In response, Speaker Vijender Gupta clarified to Leader of the Opposition Atishi the rationale behind his decision to suspend AAP MLAs from the legislature and advised her against spreading “falsehoods and lies.”