Arvind Kejriwal has responded sharply to the Lt Governor's letter on Delhi hospitals
A recent court order on the state of government hospitals in Delhi has sparked a letter war between the Arvind Kejriwal government and Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. In a sharp response to Mr Saxena's letter, in which he expressed "deep disappointment" at the "pathetic" state of Delhi hospitals, Mr Kejriwal has blamed two secretaries' "insubordination" and "refusal to obey orders" for the situation.
The latest flashpoint in the AAP government vs Lieutenant Governor tussle to control Delhi comes after the high court's strong remarks on the state-run Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.
The court last week pulled up Delhi government while hearing a 2017 public interest litigation on non-availability of ICU beds and ventilator facility in government hospitals.
The court was informed that a man died last month after three Delhi government hospitals and one central hospital denied him treatment on multiple pretexts, including non-availability of an ICU bed. The Delhi government had submitted a report, flagging issues such as vacant posts and problems in medical equipment.
The report said the CT scan machine at GTB Hospital was "functional but not working at full capacity". This irked Acting Chief Justice Manmohan. "You refused a patient and he died. That can't be. Your affidavit is meaningless. Is it working at ground level? You are refusing patient on the ground that CT scan is not working. Chart says it is working. It is misleading," he said.
The court said it wants to help Delhi government in "fixing things". "If you don't give us the correct position, it is very difficult to help you. We are not entering into blame game. Here (on paper) everything looks hunky-dory but on (the) ground people are denied admission," said the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet PS Arora.
Days after the court's observations, Mr Saxena yesterday wrote to Mr Kejriwal. The Lieutenant Governor said that despite "tall claims" by the Chief Minister and ministers, the court's observations have exposed a "rot that seems to have become deep-rooted".
The Lieutenant Governor, a central government appointee, said that as the national capital, Delhi deserves a world-class healthcare system and "not one plagued by systemic dysfunction and neglect, as the case is now".
"These issues are not merely administrative oversights, they are direct violations of the Fundamental duties of the government, as indeed the Fundamental Right to health, and cast a long shadow of disrepute on the Nation's Capital," Mr Saxena added.
Such matters, he said, are "heinous in nature and expose the actual state of public health as well as Delhi's public health services".
The Lieutenant Governor asked the Delhi government to take immediate steps in the matter and also sought a report.
Mr Kejriwal responded today, saying that he has already asked the health minister for a report. "However, I wish to state that I have written to you earlier also to replace the Health Secretary Sh. Deepak Kumar, who is not only inefficient but openly defies the oral and written orders of his minister. How can an elected government function if the senior-most bureaucrat in that department refuses to follow orders of his Minister?" he added.
Mr Kejriwal also criticised Finance Secretary Ashish Verma. Mr Verma, he alleged, has in the past stopped payments for medicines, lab tests, doctors' salaries and other schemes, "thus paralysing the entire health system". "I have requested you several times in the past, both in my personal meetings with you and in writing, to replace the Finance Secretary. He also openly defies orders of his Finance Minister," he wrote.
"The insubordination and refusal of Finance Secretary and Health Secretary to obey the orders of their Ministers has brought Delhi's Health system to this state," he said.
"I have repeatedly requested you to replace these two bureaucrats with better officers as these are very critical departments. I am sure that there must be some compulsion at your end because of which you are unable to do that despite promising me many times that you would replace them," Mr Kejriwal added.
The AAP government in Delhi and the Lieutenant Governor's office have been locked in a tussle over controlling the national capital's bureaucrats.
The Supreme Court had last year ruled that Delhi government has control over administrative services in the national capital, barring those related to public order, police and land. Soon after, the central government brought an ordinance, giving the Lieutenant Governor full control on Delhi bureaucrats. Later, this ordinance was brought in the form of a Bill that cleared the Parliament. AAP has challenged the law in Supreme Court.