Delhi High Court Questions Why Costly Medical Equipment Is Lying Unused in Hospitals
The Delhi High Court has raised serious questions over expensive medical equipment lying unused in several government hospitals in Delhi. The court expressed concern that equipment purchased with public money is not benefiting patients because of problems such as staff shortages, missing accessories and other operational issues.
What Happened?
The issue came before the court during proceedings related to healthcare facilities in Delhi government hospitals.
The court was informed that medical equipment worth crores of rupees had been purchased, but some machines were still not being used. This raised concerns about both patient care and the use of public money.
Expensive Equipment Remains Unused
One of the important examples is a PET Cyclotron at the Delhi State Cancer Institute.
The machine reportedly cost around ₹15.42 crore and was purchased in 2017. However, it remained non-functional for a long period, with a shortage of trained manpower being cited as one of the reasons.
A PET Cyclotron is important because it helps produce radioactive material required for certain PET scans used in cancer diagnosis and treatment planning.
Court Questions the Waste of Public Money
The High Court expressed strong concern over the situation.
The basic question before the court was simple: If expensive machines are purchased for hospitals, why are they not being used for patients?
The court stressed that public resources should not remain unused and that authorities need to find practical solutions instead of allowing equipment to remain idle.
Why Are Machines Not Working?
Several reasons have been reported for equipment remaining unused, including:
- Lack of trained medical staff
- Missing equipment or accessories
- Repair and maintenance problems
- Administrative delays
- Approval and regulatory issues
- Lack of supporting infrastructure
The court wants officials to examine these problems and take steps to make usable equipment operational.
Equipment May Be Shifted Where Needed
Another important point is that equipment that cannot be used at one hospital could potentially be moved to another government hospital where the necessary staff and infrastructure are available.
This could help ensure that expensive machines do not remain unused for years.
Why This Matters for Patients
For patients, especially those requiring cancer diagnosis and other specialised treatment, access to functioning medical equipment can be extremely important.
A machine sitting unused does not provide any benefit to patients, even if it was purchased for a large amount of money.
The court’s intervention therefore focuses not only on government spending but also on improving healthcare services.
What the Government Needs to Do
Authorities need to identify which machines are currently unused and determine the reason for each case.
Possible solutions include:
- Hiring or deploying trained staff.
- Providing missing accessories.
- Repairing damaged machines.
- Completing pending approvals.
- Improving supporting infrastructure.
- Moving equipment to another hospital when necessary.
The Bigger Issue
The case highlights a wider problem in public healthcare.
Buying modern medical equipment is only the first step. Hospitals also need doctors, technicians, maintenance teams, electricity, infrastructure, approvals and regular servicing to make those machines useful.
Without these supporting systems, even expensive equipment can become an unused asset.
