The Delhi government, led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and the Lieutenant Governor's (L-G) office, are embroiled in a fresh game of blames — this time over a delay in the construction of hospitals. Both sides are accusing each other of causing delays in completing 24 hospital projects in the city. Both sides also accused the other of being responsible for "leaking" stories to the media, reported news agency PTI.
The construction of the hospitals and the addition of wings to the existing ones would require over Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years. The exchequer would also incur an additional cost of Rs 8,000 crore to run the facilities. According to a TOI report, going by the present Budget considerations, the allocations are likely to double soon, failing which the completion of the hospitals would require at least another 10 years.
Moreover, the existing plans for some of the under-construction hospitals also lack key facilities, such as parking spaces and utility blocks.
'L-G Failed To Recruit Delhi Hospital Staffers': AAP
According to a statement from the AAP, back in June 2020, projections indicated that Delhi could face up to 2 million COVID-19 cases, with around 80,000 people requiring hospitalisation. "In response, the Delhi government took swift action, allocating resources to create thousands of ICU beds by setting up new hospitals and expanding existing ones. The Kejriwal administration prioritised public health over budgetary concerns," the statement said.
The AAP further claimed that Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj consistently reminded the L-G of the need to establish new positions for staffers in the upcoming hospitals. "The minister repeatedly urged the L-G in written communications to start recruiting doctors and specialists on a temporary basis, pending full-time appointments through UPSC. However, the LG failed to act on this, offering baseless excuses," the party alleged.
'Hospital Construction Nowhere Near Completion': L-G Saxena
The L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena's office, on the other hand, rejected these accusations, stating that the construction of the 24 hospital buildings was far from finished. "The AAP is using the pandemic as an excuse for the delay in constructing hospital buildings worth Rs 10,000 crore, which were supposed to be completed within a year but are still incomplete," the LG office said in a statement.
The L-G also raised concerns about the operational costs of these hospitals, stating that an additional Rs 5,000 crore would be needed annually, which has not been allocated in the Budget, reported PTI.
In response to Bharadwaj's claim about seeking contractual staff for the hospitals, the L-G’s office stated that the health minister should have initiated the hiring process instead of sending "pointless" letters. They also clarified that the responsibility for creating new posts does not fall under the purview of the L-G or the services department. In August, too, the L-G had expressed his concerns over the lack of planning. He had said that a health department report indicated there was no plan in place for the acquisition of equipment or manpower.
Earlier this month, the court directed a meeting of the Delhi L-G, top bureaucrats, and the health minister to resolve the issue of recruitment of 38,000 staffers for the new hospitals.
BJP Claims Corruption In Hospital Projects
The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that the Delhi government was engaged in corruption in the construction of hospitals. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said on Wednesday, "People have died due to the rains, there are severe sewage blockages, and corruption in the water board and hospital construction. There is no CAG report addressing these issues."