HC orders completion of 3 stalled govt hosps by end of financial year

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has identified three upcoming govt hospitals that are 96% complete but where construction has stalled. Underlining that the failure to complete these projects in a timely manner could result in wasted expenditure, the court directed Delhi govt to finish their construction within the current financial year.
"We direct Delhi govt to ensure that Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, and Acharya Shree Bhikshu Govt Hospital are completed within the current financial year and that the posts for these hospitals are created within the next 15 days," a special bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora stated in an order passed Tuesday, but made available Wednesday.
The court further directed that the "finance department of Delhi govt will ensure that all necessary financial sanctions for giving effect to the aforesaid directions as regards posts and completion of construction are issued without any delay. Delhi govt will ensure that steps for appointments to these sanctioned posts are initiated and made within this financial year."
The high court also asked Delhi govt to inform it of plans to complete other 'brown field' and 'green field' hospital projects which are between 74-87% complete but have stalled due to a lack of funds.
The court was addressing a suo motu case it initiated in 2017 over the alleged lack of critical care in govt hospitals. The directions came after examining a status report in which the govt stated it was undertaking the construction of 11 'green field' and 13 'brown field' hospitals in the capital, with plans to run them under various models, including govt-run, private, or PPP mode.
In its order, the court noted that while an affidavit by Delhi govt claimed the current budget allocation was insufficient to complete the projects, the health minister's counsel assured steps would be taken to raise and allocate funds.
"This court is of the opinion that not completing these projects in a time-bound manner may result in wastefulness of the amounts of the public exchequer already incurred on these projects," observed the court.
In the same case, the court had earlier directed AIIMS director to implement the recommendations of an expert committee led by renowned physician Dr SK Sarin on reforms in critical care.