MCDs unable to run hospitals because of corruption, alleges Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain alleged corruption in the functioning of the BJP-led municipal corporations and said that's the reason civic bodies have not been able to run hospitals properly

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday alleged corruption in the functioning of the BJP-led municipal corporations and said that's the reason civic bodies have not been able to run their hospitals properly.

No reaction was immediately available from the MCDs.

Jain, who is also the Delhi urban development minister, had on Monday asked his department to issue letters to all the three MCDs, asking them to clear the dues of healthcare workers and supporting staff at north Delhi's Hindu Rao and Kasturba hospitals or hand over these facilities to the city administration.

The doctors say they have not received their salaries for months.

"The Delhi government has given them (MCDs) their share of funds. They collect multiple taxes, but all the money goes into their pocket. There is large scale corruption in MCDs and that is the reason they are unable to run their hospitals properly," Jain alleged.

"We have already asked them to hand over these facilities to the Delhi government. It will help them save a lot of money," the health minister told reporters.

Jain also asked people to take precaution during the festive season and reiterated the importance of wearing a mask.

An expert group, headed by Dr VK Paul of NITI Aayog, had recently advised the Delhi government to prepare for a surge of 15,000 per day COVID-19 cases.

In its report, it suggested that winter months make respiratory illnesses more severe, and festival-related gatherings could lead to sudden rise in cases and patients from outside Delhi might also arrive in large numbers.

The minister said the number of new cases has remained below the 3,000-mark for 11 consecutive days.

On Monday, Delhi's cumulative COVID-19 count rose to 3.11 lakh with authorities reporting 1,849 new cases, while 40 fatalities took the number of deaths to 5,809.