The Delhi High Court has expressed serious concern over large quantities of critical medical equipment lying unused across 26 government hospitals in the national capital, including 400 ventilators and 910 oxygen concentrators at Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital.
A division bench of Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora described the situation at GTB Hospital as ‘quite shocking’ after being informed that the ventilators and oxygen concentrators, procured or donated during the COVID-19 pandemic, were lying unused because they had become surplus.
The observations were made on 7 August 2026 in a suo motu matter concerning healthcare facilities in Delhi. The order was uploaded on the High Court's website on 12 August 2026.
According to the status report placed before the Court by the Delhi government, a substantial amount of medical equipment remains unutilised in several government hospitals. The reasons cited include shortages of technically qualified manpower, missing accessories and essential components, and equipment that has become obsolete or has been declared condemned.
The bench raised particular concern over expensive equipment at the Delhi State Cancer Institute, much of which is intended for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
"The unused equipment is also extremely critical and is to be used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer," the Court said, questioning why costly machines manufactured by globally recognised companies were being allowed to remain unused despite the large public expenditure involved.
GTB Hospital Has No Functioning ECG Machine
The Court also flagged a basic but critical equipment shortage at GTB Hospital.
While the hospital has 400 ventilators and 910 oxygen concentrators lying unused, its ECG machine was reported to be non-functional. The report did not indicate whether another functioning ECG machine was available.
"Hence, the hospital, in all likelihood, is functioning without an ECG machine, which is an extremely important piece of equipment for a healthcare institution," the bench observed.
The Hospital told the court that the ventilators and oxygen concentrators had been required and donated during the pandemic but subsequently became excess equipment. They are currently stored at the GTB Hospital store.
The contrast between surplus critical equipment and the absence of a functioning ECG machine was among the issues that prompted the court to seek a hospital-wise review of the situation.
Almost All Listed Equipment Unused at Two Hospitals
The Court also noted that at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Ayurved Charak Sansthan, almost all the equipment and machines identified in the government's list were lying unused.
The findings emerged after the High Court had earlier directed government hospitals to provide details of equipment purchased but not put into service.
The Bench said the problem could not be addressed merely by procuring more equipment and stressed the need to ensure that the existing public healthcare infrastructure was actually operational.
The court directed the Secretaries of Delhi's Health and Family Welfare and Services departments to hold a joint meeting with the Medical Superintendents and Directors of all 26 hospitals on 17 August.
The meeting has been tasked with examining the problem on a hospital-by-hospital basis and identifying specific corrective measures.
These include the deployment of technically qualified manpower, the removal of condemned equipment, the transfer of unused machines to hospitals where they are needed, the filling of vacant posts, and the obtaining of missing accessories or principal components from manufacturers.
Court Seeks Action on Unused Cancer Equipment
The Delhi State Cancer Institute came under particular scrutiny because several specialised machines intended for diagnosis and treatment were reportedly not being used.
The Court noted that the equipment appeared to have been manufactured by well-known global companies and questioned why such machines had been allowed to remain idle after substantial expenditure.
The issue raises concerns not only about procurement but also about planning, staffing, maintenance and coordination between hospitals and equipment manufacturers.
The Court's proposed hospital-wise review is expected to determine whether equipment can be made operational by adding technical staff or replacing missing components, or whether functioning machines should be shifted to other government hospitals where there is a greater need.
ICU Bed Availability and Emergency Helpline Also Under Scrutiny
The proceedings are part of the High Court's continuing monitoring of healthcare services in Delhi government hospitals.
The Court had earlier ordered surprise audits following an incident in which a patient was allegedly denied an ICU bed at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital even though the government's e-HMIS portal indicated that ICU beds were available. The Court was subsequently informed that the patient had been admitted and was receiving treatment.
The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has also conducted a surprise audit of the NextGen e-HMIS system across 38 government hospitals. The High Court directed that the audit findings be provided to the respective hospitals so that they could submit their comments.
The bench also sought greater clarity over the Delhi government's proposal to use the existing centralised accident & trauma services (CATS) toll-free infrastructure as a common helpline for emergency services, ICU bed availability and information on hospital specialities.
The Court wanted the government to clarify which CATS number would be used and whether operators would have access to the current ICU bed and speciality information. It also sought details about the proposed ‘referral coordinator’, who is expected to facilitate referrals between hospitals.
The Court's concerns come amid its broader effort to ensure that information displayed in government healthcare systems corresponds to actual availability on the ground.
Hospital-wise Action Plan Sought
By directing senior officials to meet the heads of all 26 hospitals, the High Court has effectively sought a detailed assessment of why equipment purchased with public funds is not translating into operational healthcare capacity.
The authorities have been asked to address manpower gaps, equipment redistribution, disposal of unusable machinery, recruitment timelines and procurement of missing accessories or components.
The case will next be heard on 18 September 2026. The government is expected to place further status information before the court on the steps taken to make the unused equipment operational and address the other deficiencies identified during the proceedings.
