Healthcare sector in shambles: DPCC chief

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Devender Yadav on Monday slammed the BJP-led Rekha Gupta government over the deteriorating condition of Delhi’s health sector, citing alarming data released on World Health Day.

Yadav expressed concern over the reports that stated 20 infants are dying every day in the national capital due to inadequate healthcare facilities despite the presence of several Central and state-funded specialist hospitals.

Yadav termed the situation “frightening,” revealing that 7,439 newborns died in 2023 alone, an increase from 7,155 in 2022, 6,413 in 2021 and 6,145 in 2020. He accused both the present BJP government and the previous AAP government of making tall claims about healthcare, but failing to deliver basic services on the ground.

“The so-called ‘Delhi model’ of healthcare under AAP misled people, and now the BJP government has added to the crisis by making empty promises,” Yadav said.

He said most government hospitals are plagued by lack of infrastructure, medicine shortage and staff crunch, leaving the poor without access to quality treatment.

The Congress leader highlighted the absence of Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) and emergency cesarean facilities in several hospitals.

“Increased budget allocations have not translated into better care. There is still a critical shortage of essential medicines, and pregnant women and newborns are bearing the brunt,” he said.

Yadav also questioned the BJP’s narrative of “double engine government” at the Centre and in Delhi, noting that prestigious institutions like AIIMS, GTB and the Delhi Cancer Institute are falling short in providing timely and affordable treatment.

“More than 100 of the 178 essential medicines are reportedly out of stock at the Delhi Cancer Hospital,” he said.

Comparing the situation with developed countries, Yadav pointed out that while the infant mortality rate in the US is around 5-6 per 1,000 live births, Delhi’s child mortality figures are “extremely concerning.” He urged the Rekha Gupta-led government to urgently improve hospital facilities and deliver on promises made in election manifestos.

“The government must stop treating healthcare as a rhetorical tool and start addressing the real crisis,” Yadav said, demanding immediate reforms to ensure accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all.

Delhi