L-G says AAP started new hospital project without creating posts for medicos
NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Thursday expressed serious concern over inordinate delays and mismanagement in the construction of 24 hospital projects across the city.
During a review of vacant posts in the Health Department, Saxena highlighted the alarming oversight in planning indicating that approximately 38,000 posts required have not been created or filled for these hospitals.
As per a presentation by the Health Department, the L-G was informed that construction for these hospital projects began without taking into consideration necessary equipment, machinery, or manpower.
Saxena pointed out that no approvals were made for the manpower required to run these hospitals, nor were any provisions made for essential resources like beds, machines, or equipment.
He further said that the allocated budget for these projects in the financial year 2024-2025 is only ~ 400 crore, while ~ 600 crore has been earmarked for settling arbitration cases in favor of contractors. He indicated that this discrepancy raises concerns about potential corruption, suggesting that these projects may have been tendered with the primary goal of benefiting contractors rather than serving the people of Delhi.
Replying to the allegations, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said each year the cabinet approves the annual budget for the construction of these hospitals which goes to the L-G for approval before being tabled in the Legislative Assembly. It is no secret that these hospitals were under construction for a few years.
And it is entirely the work of the L-G and the departments under him which have to create new posts of doctors, specialists, and paramedics and then recruit them through UPSC and DSSSB.