Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A 336-bed government hospital in Delhi’s Sarita Vihar has been standing fully built but unused for nearly two years — with a parking dispute now at the centre of why it remains shut.
But the story goes far beyond one hospital.
A CAG audit of Delhi’s public-health infrastructure found government land earmarked for hospitals and dispensaries lying unused for years, hospital projects delayed by several years, and far fewer beds being added than successive governments had promised.
In Jhatikra, a plot acquired for a healthcare facility remains vacant decades after it was earmarked. In Kanganheri, another government plot has effectively turned into a dumping ground. And at Sarita Vihar, a 336-bed hospital built during the Covid pandemic remains closed.
The CAG found that Delhi had not undertaken a proper need-based assessment to determine where healthcare facilities were actually required. Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, Delhi government hospitals added just 1,357 beds, despite announcements promising thousands more.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s government hospital bed-population ratio stood at just 0.68 beds per 1,000 people in 2021-22, against the National Health Policy target of two beds per 1,000.
So, where did Delhi’s promised hospitals and hospital beds go?
Saman Husain reports from Sarita Vihar, Jhatikra, Kanganheri and other parts of Delhi.
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A 336-bed government hospital in Delhi’s Sarita Vihar has been standing fully built but unused for nearly two years — with a parking dispute now at the centre of why it remains shut.
But the story goes far beyond one hospital.
A CAG audit of Delhi’s public-health infrastructure found government land earmarked for hospitals and dispensaries lying unused for years, hospital projects delayed by several years, and far fewer beds being added than successive governments had promised.
In Jhatikra, a plot acquired for a healthcare facility remains vacant decades after it was earmarked. In Kanganheri, another government plot has effectively turned into a dumping ground. And at Sarita Vihar, a 336-bed hospital built during the Covid pandemic remains closed.
The CAG found that Delhi had not undertaken a proper need-based assessment to determine where healthcare facilities were actually required. Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, Delhi government hospitals added just 1,357 beds, despite announcements promising thousands more.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s government hospital bed-population ratio stood at just 0.68 beds per 1,000 people in 2021-22, against the National Health Policy target of two beds per 1,000.
So, where did Delhi’s promised hospitals and hospital beds go?
Saman Husain reports from Sarita Vihar, Jhatikra, Kanganheri and other parts of Delhi.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
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» Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3nCMpht
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