LG Writes to CM Kejriwal Over ‘Inordinately Delayed’ Hospital Projects in Delhi

Delhi’s LGVK Saxena on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal about the city’s “extraordinarily delayed” hospital projects, alleging that the government’s intention was only to create “propaganda-backed propaganda” in the public sphere.

There was no immediate reaction from the city government, which is led by the Aam Aadmi Party.

In his letter, Saxena said that not only is the construction work of the new hospital in Siraspur a year behind schedule, but also the addition of beds in existing hospitals such as Lok Nayak, Guru Gobind Singh, Dr B S Ambedkar, Rao Tola Ram and Aruna Asaf. Ali was also delayed by more than three years.

“In the case of the ambitious Indira Gandhi Hospital, which has been underway since 2012-2013, it is not yet fully completed despite the passage of 10 years. It is unfortunate that the work on the Bhagwan Mahavir, Aruna Asaf Ali and Deep Chand Pandu Hospitals, which started in 2019 and was Scheduled for completion by 2020, it is still on hold with no firm completion dates even after three years,” the letter said.

The Lieutenant Governor noted that increasing beds in 17 hospitals and building one new hospital on time would have resulted in around 12,500 extra beds for the people of Delhi.

“The projects of several of these hospitals, which were announced with much fanfare in 2014 and 2019, with projected completion dates from 2017 to 2020, if completed on time, could have saved thousands of Delhiites, who have suffered Calculating Bed Unavailability During the COVID Pandemic”.

Highlighting the “importance of enforcement over advertisements,” Saxena said it was blatantly clear in the present case that “the government’s intention was nothing but to create propaganda-supported propaganda in the public domain.” He added that “the rampant inaction on the ground leads to the hype that has been created so that it does not turn into a result.”

LG cited media reports of “unusually delayed hospital projects, falling behind and behind schedule by years versus on time completion.”

“It is already a grave concern for Delhi – also the national capital of India – where even as the population grows exponentially, something as basic as adding beds and blocks to existing hospitals is being left behind for reasons beyond comprehension,” the letter read.

The governor noted that through GNCTD’s “media outreach, the image that emerges around public health infrastructure is a solid one.”

I am forced to say that the situation on the ground is the complete opposite. No new hospital has been built, and even in those hospitals, I would repeat, additional additions have been announced in terms of beds and premises, time and cost overruns running into years and hundreds of crores seem to be becoming the norm today, he said.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)