Delhi Hospital Audit Finds Equipment Worth Crores Lying Unused

An audit of 26 Delhi government-run hospitals has found several pieces of medical equipment worth crores of rupees lying unused, following directions issued by the Delhi High Court on July 3, 2026. The audit found major instances of non-utilisation at the Delhi State Cancer Institute and other hospitals, with lack of manpower, unavailable chemicals, space constraints and inadequate trained specialists cited among the reasons.

Delhi High Court Orders Hospital-Wide Equipment Audit

The audit was ordered after the Delhi High Court was informed that a specialised machine at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, used to prepare substances required for cancer imaging scans, had remained unused since April 2022.

The court observed that the situation represented “a gross waste of public resources” and directed every hospital under the Delhi government to examine its equipment and submit details.

The audit covered 26 hospitals, including GTB Hospital, Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Burari Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, GIPMER, Maulana Azad Medical College and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

Delhi State Cancer Institute Reports Multiple Unused Machines

The Delhi State Cancer Institute accounted for the largest share of unused equipment identified during the audit. The specialised imaging machine was purchased in 2017 for Rs 15.42 crore, with an additional Rs 64 lakh spent on delivery and Rs 2.5 crore on installation. It has remained unused since April 2022.

The same department also has an advanced cancer-imaging system that combines multiple scanning technologies to assist doctors in accurately targeting tumours. The system was purchased in 2017 for USD 1.3 million, along with Rs 26.68 lakh in delivery costs, but has never been used and remains “under evaluation.”

The pathology department also has a tissue-slicing machine received free of cost from a German supplier. The equipment remains unused because there is no space available for its installation.

Separately, three testing machines used for analysing blood and other samples, including one valued at Rs 1.26 crore, became unusable after the special chemicals required to operate them were no longer available. The three machines are now being written off as unusable.

Manpower Shortage Leaves Equipment Unused

Several hospitals cited shortage of trained manpower as a reason for non-utilisation of equipment.

At Dr B R Sur Homoeopathic Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, a fully functional ultrasound machine valued at Rs 19.08 lakh has never been used because the hospital does not have a radiologist on its regular staff. The hospital said it is attempting to arrange a radiologist on a part-time basis.

The audit has also highlighted cases where equipment was procured or donated but could not be put to use because the necessary infrastructure or trained personnel were unavailable.

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital Equipment Remains Idle

At Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, an oxygen storage tank valued at around Rs 94.82 lakh and donated by a charity during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2021 has never been connected to the hospital’s oxygen supply system.

The hospital also has two pieces of equipment intended for its planned eye bank, including one used to assess the quality of donated corneas and another designed as a clean workspace for handling them. The two machines, purchased in 2019 and 2020, are collectively valued at Rs 22.15 lakh.

The equipment was initially not used because there were insufficient trained cornea specialists. Eye and organ donations were subsequently disrupted during the pandemic, while the hospital continues to face a shortage of trained eye doctors.

COVID-Era Equipment Also Lying Unused

The audit further found oxygen machines, breathing-support devices and ventilators purchased during the 2021 COVID-19 wave for the hospital’s surgery, orthopaedic, children’s and women’s health departments lying unused after the pandemic ended.

Among them are 13 ventilators valued at Rs 2.16 lakh each, which had attracted controversy at the time of procurement.

The findings remain before the Delhi High Court, which is expected to examine the complete audit findings and consider the matter further.

Important Highlights

• An audit of 26 Delhi government hospitals found several crores-worth of medical equipment lying unused.

• A specialised imaging machine at the Delhi State Cancer Institute was purchased for Rs 15.42 crore in 2017 and has remained unused since April 2022.

• The Delhi State Cancer Institute also reported unused cancer-imaging, pathology and laboratory equipment.

• Hospitals cited factors including manpower shortages, lack of space and unavailability of required chemicals.

• Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital has an unused oxygen storage tank worth around Rs 94.82 lakh donated during the 2021 COVID-19 outbreak.

• The Delhi High Court ordered the audit on July 3, 2026, and the matter remains under consideration.