Millions in Medical Gear Lie Idle in Delhi Hospitals

An audit has uncovered that significant medical equipment, valued at crores of rupees, remains unused in Delhi government hospitals. Among the most striking examples is a USD 2.5 million medical cyclotron at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, purchased in 2017, which has been idle due to a shortage of trained personnel.

This situation came to light following a Delhi High Court directive on July 3, ordering all Delhi government-run hospitals to audit their unused medical equipment. The court expressed concern over the "gross waste of public resources" after learning that the PET cyclotron at the Delhi State Cancer Institute had been non-operational since April 2022.

Across 26 audited hospitals, issues such as lack of manpower, insufficient installation space, and discontinued reagent availability have been cited. Other notable unused equipment includes an advanced SPECT-CT imaging device, a grossing station, and diagnostic analysers, collectively representing a substantial loss of public funds.

Further examples include a Rs 19.08 lakh ultrasound machine at Dr. B. R. Sur Homoeopathic Medical College Hospital due to a lack of radiologists, and an anesthesia oxygen buffer tank at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital that was never connected to the medical gas pipeline system. Equipment for establishing an eye bank also remains unused due to a shortage of specialists and pandemic-related disruptions.