Delhi: 8 of 24 under-construction hospitals may be completed by June 2026

New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) After years of delays and funding hurdles, the Delhi government's hospital expansion plan is moving forward with eight of the 24 under-construction hospitals likely to be completed by June 2026, an internal report of the Public Works Department (PWD) said.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently reviewed the progress and directed the health department to authorise funds for four hospitals where construction is nearing completion. She also instructed the PWD to complete all ongoing works by the end of August, officials said.

The previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had started these projects in 2019-20 during the pandemic years. But all the projects are facing delays due to a lack of funds.

"Three government hospitals -- Guru Gobind Singh, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial and Acharya Shree Bhikshu -- are around 99 per cent complete. The PWD has been directed to complete all the pending works by August 2025," an official said.

At the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Mangolpuri, the government is constructing one of the biggest trauma centres in the city. It was approved in 2020 and will have around 362 beds after completion.

The initial deadline to complete the new block of Guru Gobind Singh Hospital in Raghubir Nagar was 2021, which was revised to 2023. This hospital will have 472 beds, the report said.

The under-construction Acharya Shri Bhikshu Hospital in West Delhi's Moti Nagar was initially scheduled to be completed in 2022, but has been delayed since. This facility will have 270 beds, the report added.

"In addition, Shri Dada Dev Matri Avum Shisha Chikisalaya, whose work was sanctioned in 2020, is 98 per cent complete; it will be ready by this month-end... the hospital will have around 281 beds," officials said.

Apart from these four hospitals, Rao Tula Ram Hospital, which is 95 per cent complete, is likely to be completed by November this year, and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital is expected to be completed by December, the report added.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital are slated to be completed next year by the PWD.

Last year, Lt Governor V K Saxena, while reviewing the health and family welfare department, raised concerns and slammed the Delhi government for "ill-planned" hospital projects. PTI SSM ANM ANM KSS KSS