Will transform Delhi into global medical hub: CM

 The Hindu Bureau

NEW DELHI

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday announced that her government will complete all unfinished hospital projects of the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and transform Delhi into a global medical hub by leveraging the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Ms. Gupta’s remarks came while inaugurating an SSB Multi-Speciality Hospital in Kailash Colony in South Delhi.

“Many hospitals initiated by the previous government were left incomplete or are under-resourced. We are now bringing all such hospitals under the PPP model to ensure their full-scale functioning,” she said.

Ms. Gupta said the government aims to attract patients from across India and abroad by boosting healthcare infrastructure in the Capital. Referring to a World Health Organization report, she noted that India has less than one hospital bed per 1,000 people, a challenge that, according to her, “can be addressed if the government and private sector work in tandem in a focused manner”.

Ms. Gupta also inaugurated a Jan Seva Kendra (Public Service Centre) at another event in south Delhi’s Kalkaji and reiterated her administration’s commitment to the Capital’s development.

No fund shortage

“Whether it’s cleaning a drain, repairing a street, or resolving local drainage issues, people can visit the centre. The doors are always open, unlike the previous governments where elected representatives sat in closed rooms,” she said.

The Chief Minister also assured residents that financial support will not be a constraint for any development work in Delhi.

However, the Chief Minister’s visit drew criticism from former AAP MLA from Greater Kailash, Saurabh Bharadwaj. Posting a video on X showing garbage strewn outside a gurdwara and a temple in the area, Mr. Bharadwaj accused the government of focusing on “event management” over real issues.

“CM is in Greater Kailash today, and a mega cleanliness drive is under way in Delhi. Take a look at the condition of the GK1 gurdwara and temple – garbage everywhere. Today was the fourth day ceremony of a notable socialite woman. Preparations for a procession are happening at the temple. And, this is the state of posh areas,” he wrote.