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Blaming Aam Aadmi Party government for underutilising Budget allocations for health, former Delhi Finance and Health Minister AK Walia said during the last three years the Capital witnessed a sharp increase in diseases and air pollution to make it a “sick city”.
Walia remarked that though AAP government had been patting its own back for record budgetary allocation for health, the ground reality was totally different. He alleged the government ran pilot health projects like mohalla clinics in a shoddy manner. Walia noted that air pollution had touched serious levels and vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, malaria, diarrhoea and swine flue had caused sufferings to many.
He said in 2014-15, the budget allocation for health was Rs 2,390 crore out of which Rs 2124 crore was spent. Consequently, non-utilisation of funds remained at 11 per cent. In 2015-16, the allocation for health was Rs 3,138 crore out of which only Rs 2012 crore was spent to let 36 per cent funds remain unutilised.
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In 2016-17, Rs 3,200 crore was allocated for health but as only Rs 2, 096 crore was spent 34 per cent funds remained unutilised. In 2017-18, the allocation for health was Rs 2,627crore but till last September only Rs 666 crore, leaving 75 per cent funds remaining underutilised.
Walia recounted that AAP had talked about opening primary health centres. He drew a comparison that the Congress government in Delhi had left behind 602 primary health centres, which the AAP reduced to 491 in 2016-17. He claimed that AAP government closed down 111 dispensaries while 24 dispensaries were turned into polyclinics.
He said against promise to increase beds by 30,000, only 806 beds have been added since 2014 though AAP has been in power for two-and-a-half years. That averaged 268 beds per year, he summarised. In contrast, 544 beds were added every year on an average while the Congress was in power between 2008 and 2013.
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