CAG Report Exposes Delhi's Covid Failures: Oxygen, ICU Lapses Worsened Crisis

• CAG report reveals critical shortcomings in Delhi's public health during Covid-19, including oxygen supply, ICU readiness, and emergency response, intensifying patient distress.
• Significant staff shortages across health departments: 21% in Health & Family Welfare, 37.55% in DGHS, and 21% overall nursing staff.
• Many district hospitals lacked essential services like ICUs (14/27), blood banks (16/27), oxygen (8/27), and ambulance services (12/27).
• Failures in emergency preparedness, non-functional Death Audit Committee, and poor hospital amenities like unhygienic toilets and lack of facilities for new mothers.
• Drug procurement issues included sourcing from blacklisted firms and unavailability of essential medicines, with Ayushman Bharat not implemented till Dec 2023.

Why It Matters: CAG report highlights Delhi's structural public health weaknesses, with Covid oxygen/ICU failures causing severe distress.