The Aam Aadmi Party government in its budget for 2017-18 allocated Rs 5,736 crore for healthcare, promising to increase the number of beds by 1,000 by the end of 2016
The Delhi government is struggling to implement its plan of upgrading 10 government hospitals at a cost of Rs 1,413 crore.
The plan, which was approved in 2016, has not seen any progress so far. The Aam Aadmi Party government in its budget for 2017-18 allocated Rs 5,736 crore for healthcare, promising to increase the number of beds by 1,000 by the end of 2016. Citing its tussle with the then Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung, the Delhi government pushed the deadline to implement the plan to March 2017.
According to sources, the 10 hospitals — Dr Hedgewar Arogya Sansthan in East Delhi, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital at Pitampura, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in Khichripur, Lok Nayak Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Hospital at Mangolpuri, Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Rao Tula Ram Hospital, Acharya Shree Bhikshu Hospital and Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital — were listed by the health department for upgradation.
"Nothing has been done in this regard," a senior doctor from Rao Tula Ram Hospital said, requesting anonymity.
"The government has not yet finalised anything. We have been also waiting for the government to take a decision," he added.
Of the 10 hospitals, new blocks have been proposed in six, and four others will undergo revamp.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has been given the task to upgrade the hospitals but the department is still waiting for approval. Senior officials in Delhi government said the budget for the work has not yet been approved by the finance department.
"There are a few elements in the proposal that have not been approved by the finance department. Apart from creating space for patients, the health department has also suggested beautification of hospitals. The finance department is not agreeing to it. So the matter is still on hold," said a senior PWD official.
The Delhi government had earlier said that it planned to increase the number of beds to 20,000, but it gave no deadline for it. This, the government said, would be done by adding seven hospitals and remodelling 10 existing ones. Currently, there are 10,820 beds in Delhi government hospitals.
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