Delhi HC flags 400 ventilators, 910 oxygen concentrators lying idle at GTB Hospital
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has raised serious concerns over critical medical equipment lying unused in government hospitals, noting that 400 ventilators and 910 oxygen concentrators were reportedly lying idle at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora took note of the issue while hearing a suo motu case concerning the functioning of government hospitals and healthcare services in Delhi.
The Court was informed that the ventilators and oxygen concentrators at GTB Hospital had either been procured or donated during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the hospital, the equipment subsequently became surplus and was no longer being used.
The machines are reportedly part of a larger list of critical medical equipment lying unused across 26 government hospitals in Delhi.
Expressing concern over the situation, the court questioned why expensive equipment was being allowed to remain idle, particularly when such machines could potentially support healthcare services.
The issue was not limited to GTB Hospital. The Court was also informed that a large number of machines meant for cancer diagnosis and treatment were lying unused at the Delhi State Cancer Institute.
Similar concerns were raised regarding Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan, where equipment and machines were reportedly not being utilised.
According to The New Indian Express, the division bench of the High Court observed, “Equipment appears to be manufactured by globally well-known companies, and it is unclear as to why such equipment is being permitted to lie unused.”
The High Court is monitoring the availability and functioning of healthcare services at Delhi's government hospitals through the ongoing suo motu proceedings. The observations came as the Court examined the status and utilisation of medical infrastructure across these facilities.
