Delhi LG officials, AAP spar over health services
The development came a day after minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that health secretary filed a “false affidavit” in the high court about health services.
In a new flashpoint between lieutenant governor VK Saxena and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government, the LG’s secretariat on Wednesday accused the state government of making no efforts to hire doctors and other medical staff in state-run health facilities.
The development came a day after Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the health secretary has filed a “false affidavit” in the Delhi high court about health services under the AAP government to hide the shortage of doctors.
Officials in the secretariat said, “Press conference minister Bhardwaj on 02.01.2024 wrote to CM Arvind Kejriwal proposing to recruit/hire doctors (specialists and medical officers) and paramedics against their respective vacant sanctioned posts on contractual basis for a period of one year or till regular incumbents join through UPSC or DSSSB (Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board). Bhardwaj also sought LG’s direction to the Health Department for hiring the Doctors on contractual basis.”
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The high court is currently hearing a petition regarding health services in the Capital. Bharadwaj had recently filed an affidavit in the court, informing the bench that the biggest reason behind major problems in state-run hospitals is an acute shortage of doctors, specialists, paramedical staff and technicians in the hospitals.
The LG secretariat officials said the task of hiring of doctors and others is exclusively within the domain of the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), of which chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is the chairperson. “Had the intention been to appoint/hire doctors, etc. on contract basis or otherwise, Kejriwal would have immediately convened a meeting of the NCCSA and done the needful,” said the officials.
In response, an AAP official, referring to Saxena as a “former cement factory employee turned LG”, alleged that the lieutenant governor’s “lies” got exposed due to the fact that the high court-appointed Sarin committee in its recommendations has constantly pressed upon the issue of filling up vacant positions of doctors, specialists, nurses, pharmacists, and OT technicians, among others. The official stated that if the hiring of the doctors and paramedics was stalled due to NCCSA meeting, the advocate of services department would have pointed out the same before the high court in the affidavit.
“But the LG has this excuse for hiding all his inefficiencies and hiding all conspiracies to stall the works of Delhi government. This inturn is affected the poor and Vulnerable patients of Delhi,” the AAP official said.