COVID Funds Wasted, No Toilets in 21 Mohalla Clinics: CAG Report Exposes AAP’s Health Infra Mess

New Delhi: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Delhi’s healthcare infrastructure laid bare the gross financial mismanagement, negligence, and lack of accountability in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) )-led government over the past six years. The report exposed glaring lapses, including the failure to utilise crucial funds meant for healthcare infrastructure, an acute shortage of medical equipment and healthcare workers, and the dismal state of mohalla clinics.

Unspent Funds: AAP’s Hollow Promises

Between 2016-17 and 2021-22, the Delhi government failed to spend Rs 2,623 crore allocated for infrastructure projects. Year after year, significant portions of the budget remained unutilised, raising serious questions about the government’s efficiency in handling public funds:

• 2016-17: Rs 288.45 crore
• 2017-18: Rs 282.48 crore
• 2018-19: Rs 553.76 crore
• 2019-20: Rs 497.25 crore
• 2020-21: Rs 466.92 crore
• 2021-22: Rs 191.48 crore

While AAP consistently boasted about transforming Delhi’s healthcare sector, the reality painted by the CAG report suggested otherwise. The government’s failure to utilise such a massive sum directly contradicted its claims of improving healthcare facilities in the capital.

COVID-19 Mismanagement: Where Did the Money Go?

Perhaps the most damning revelation in the report was AAP’s failure to utilise emergency funds during the COVID-19 crisis when Delhi was grappling with an acute shortage of oxygen, beds, and essential medical supplies. Sources close to the matter have told Republic Bharat that the Government of India provided Rs 635 crore to the Delhi government to manage the pandemic, yet a staggering Rs 360 crore remained unspent.

Breakdown of fund allocation versus actual expenditure:

• Diagnostics & Sample Transport: Rs 371.06 crore allocated, only Rs 68.91 crore spent
• Drugs & PPE Kits: Rs 119.85 crore allocated, only Rs 83.14 crore spent
• Human Resource Expenses: Rs 52 crore allocated, only Rs 30.52 crore spent
• Miscellaneous Expenses: Rs 61.11 crore allocated, only Rs 57.11 crore spent

At a time when Delhi residents were scrambling for hospital beds and oxygen cylinders, AAP sat on critical funds, failing to provide relief to the people who needed it most. The mismanagement raised serious concerns about the government’s priorities during a public health emergency.

No Toilets in Mohalla Clinics

The CAG report also criticised the AAP government’s much-publicized 'mohalla' clinics initiative, highlighting severe infrastructural deficiencies. According to the findings, 21 clinics lacked basic toilet facilities, making them highly inconvenient for both patients and staff. Additionally, 15 clinics were found to be operating without power backup, while 12 lacked provisions for persons with disabilities, severely limiting accessibility. These inadequacies reflect a glaring mismatch between the government's claims and the reality on the ground.

Grand Announcements, Meagre Delivery

Over the past four budget cycles, AAP made grand promises of constructing 32,000 hospital beds in Delhi. However, the ground reality exposed the hollowness of these claims—only 1,235 hospital beds were actually added. The figures reinforced the growing scepticism surrounding AAP’s governance, where tall promises seldom translated into action.

Accountability Needed

The CAG report was a damning indictment of AAP’s governance in Delhi. Despite receiving substantial funds, the government failed to improve healthcare infrastructure, ensure the timely allocation of resources, or fulfil its own promises. With elections on the horizon, Delhi’s citizens deserved answers—where did the money go, and why was it not used when the people needed it the most?