CAG Flags Acute Medicine Shortages in Delhi Government Hospitals, Highlights Major Procurement and Quality Lapses
A report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed significant gaps in the procurement and supply of medicines across government hospitals in Delhi, resulting in serious inconvenience for patients and disruptions to essential healthcare services.
The audit, which covered the period between 2016–17 and 2021–22, pointed to systemic inefficiencies that led to shortages of essential drugs, forcing hospitals to procure a substantial portion of medicines independently due to the failure of designated supply agencies to deliver them on time.
According to the findings, government hospitals were compelled to purchase nearly 33 to 47 per cent of the required medicines from external sources because the centralised procurement system failed to ensure the timely availability of drugs.
Even premier and high-footfall institutions such as Lok Nayak Hospital reportedly faced shortages of essential medicines, adversely affecting patient care and placing additional financial burden on individuals seeking treatment in public healthcare facilities.
The report also highlighted that emergency services across several government hospitals were negatively impacted due to the unavailability of necessary medicines.
Patients, particularly those dependent on free or subsidised treatment in public hospitals, faced considerable hardship as they were often required to purchase medicines from private pharmacies.
Serious lapses were also observed in quality assurance procedures. The audit found instances where medicines were supplied to hospitals without undergoing mandatory quality checks.
In some cases, samples were sent for laboratory testing several months after the drugs had already been delivered and presumably dispensed to patients.
Such practices raised concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of medicines being administered in government healthcare institutions.
The CAG emphasised the urgent need to strengthen quality control mechanisms to ensure that medicines are thoroughly tested before distribution.
Despite repeated notices and observations regarding procurement irregularities, hospitals continued to purchase medicines from the open market.
In one particular instance, purchases amounting to ₹32.33 crore were reportedly made from private vendors due to supply deficiencies.
In response to these findings, the Delhi Health Department has proposed the establishment of a dedicated warehouse facility aimed at improving storage, inventory management, and timely distribution of medicines to government hospitals.
However, officials have indicated that the implementation of this infrastructure project will require time before tangible improvements can be realised.
The report underscores the need for systemic reforms in procurement, supply chain management, and quality assurance processes to ensure the uninterrupted availability of safe and effective medicines in Delhi’s public healthcare system.
