Delhi HC Flags Unused Medical Equipment in Govt Hospitals

The Delhi High Court on Friday expressed concern over unused medical equipment in government hospitals, highlighting that crores of rupees worth of life-saving machines are lying idle due to staff shortages and missing accessories. The court directed the Delhi Health Secretary to review the issue and submit a detailed report after a meeting on August 17.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Manmeet P. S. Arora said the large-scale non-use of medical equipment amounts to a waste of public funds and could impact patient care.

According to the report submitted before the court, the Delhi State Cancer Institute has medical equipment worth nearly ₹50–60 crore lying unused. At GTB Hospital, 400 ventilators and 910 oxygen concentrators, many donated during the COVID-19 pandemic, remain unused. The report also noted that an ECG machine at the hospital is non-functional.

The court directed the Health Secretary to hold a meeting with medical superintendents and other officials on August 17 to assess manpower shortages, arrange essential accessories, and explore the reallocation of unused medical equipment in government hospitals where required. A comprehensive report will be submitted to the court after the meeting.

The directions were issued during the hearing of a suo motu case on healthcare facilities in Delhi government hospitals. The High Court said ensuring that unused medical equipment in government hospitals becomes operational is essential to improve healthcare services and prevent the misuse of public resources.