16 years on, Delhi government's 2 superspecialty hospitals still not ready for patients.

In a country where thousands of patients die due to lack of access to specialized medical care, two superspecialty hospitals built by the Delhi government at a cost of over Rs. 150 crore are still not ready to take in patients - 16 years after the projects were started.

The 650-bed Rajiv Gandhi superspecialty hospital in east Delhi and Janakpuri superspecialty hospital (300-bed) in west Delhi have been in the making since. Both have the unique distinction of being mentioned in the state budget by successive governments for 15 straight years - 1998 to 2013 - while claiming success in augmenting specialized healthcare facilities.

Despite these claims, not a single patient has been admitted in the hospitals till date. Government records reveal land was allotted by Delhi Development Authority for construction of the two hospitals in 1998. It took more than 10 years to build the two hospitals and another five to decide on how these should be run.

ET