Delhi govt hospitals have 1,956 ventilators, 764 ICU beds: Health Minister tells Assembly

New Delhi [India], March 24 (ANI): Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh, on Monday, informed the Delhi Assembly regarding the number of ventilators ordered by the government, and affirmed on improving the healthcare system of the national capital.
He was responding to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Atishi's query regarding the number of ventilators ordered by the government.
Further, during the Question Hour, BJP MLA Harish Khurana also sought details on ventilators in Delhi government hospitals.
As per the state health policy, 5-7 per cent of total hospital beds should be allocated to ICUs and ventilators. Of the total ventilators available, 1,007 are owned by the Delhi government, while 646 have been provided by the central government.
The minister emphasised that the government's priority is to strengthen the healthcare system in Delhi's government hospitals.
Earlier in the day, Leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly and AAP MLA Atishi criticised the BJP-led central government, alleging that the promised Rs 2,500 financial assistance for women had not been delivered and expressed hope that the ruling party would fulfil its commitments during the Budget Session.
Speaking to ANI, the Leader of the Opposition said, "The BJP made a lot of promises before the elections. We hope that those promises are fulfilled in this budget session. The first and most important promise was that Delhi's women would receive Rs 2,500 on March 8. Till today, even the registration of that scheme has not started. It is clear that PM Modi lied and betrayed the people of Delhi."
"We hope the people of Delhi are not betrayed in this budget," she asserted.
Atishi also spoke about the CAG report to be tabled and said, "They went to the court with a demand that the CAG reports be presented in the assembly. Why are they not presenting all the reports? Why are the CAG reports presented in episodes? If the Speaker has 14 CAG reports, then they should present them all immediately."
The third CAG report on the functioning of DTC will also be tabled in the House, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat said in a statement earlier.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday prepared the ceremonial 'Kheer' ahead of the inaugural budget session of the newly elected government in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
Marking a unique start to the financial proceedings, the newly elected Chief Minister extended her gratitude to those involved in the budget-making process.
The Delhi Legislative Assembly convened its first budget session under the BJP government, with the state budget scheduled to be presented on March 25.
The budget session, running from March 24 to March 28 with provisions for extension, marks a significant moment for the BJP government, which returned to power after 27 years in the recent 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will move a motion for the election of financial committees, marking an important step in the assembly's financial governance, according to the List of Business of the House.
Additionally, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht and Member Om Prakash Sharma will present the First Report of the Business Advisory Committee. This report is expected to provide valuable insights into the assembly's business and legislative agenda. Members Sanjay Goyal and Poonam Sharma will present the First Report of the Committee on Private Members' Bills, according to LoB.
This Budget Session is significant, as it follows the recent 2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) return to power after 27 years.
Earlier, the BJP government tabled two CAG reports on the now scrapped excise policy and the healthcare system of the national capital, during the first assembly session held last month.
Meanwhile, members Surya Prakash Khatri, Mohan Singh Bisht and Raj Kumar Bhatia will continue the discussion regarding water shortage, water logging, sewerage blockage and desilting of drains in Delhi initiated on 3rd March 2025 as directed by the Speaker.
In Question Hour, members have been posing starred questions, and the respective authorities will provide replies. Un-starred questions will be laid on the table for future discussion.
Special Mention (Rule-280): Members will raise matters under Rule-280 with the Chair's permission, allowing for discussions on pressing issues.
Moreover, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will move a motion to elect nine members each for the Committee on Public Accounts, Committee on Estimates, and Committee on Government Undertakings.
This election will be crucial in shaping the financial governance of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
These presentations and discussions demonstrate the Delhi Assembly's commitment to addressing key issues affecting the national capital territory.
The Budget Session is a crucial period in the legislative calendar, during which key financial and policy matters will be discussed and decided upon. The session is tentatively scheduled to run from March 24 to March 28, 2025, with provisions for extension if required. (ANI)