Gandhi writes to Nadda, Delhi CM over plight of patients camped near AIIMS, seeks urgent steps
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Union Health Minister J P Nadda and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, flagging the plight of hundreds of patients and their family members huddled on the footpath and subway outside AIIMS here and sought concrete steps to resolve this "humanitarian crisis".
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also urged the central government to take concrete steps to strengthen the public healthcare system in the upcoming budget and increase the necessary resources for it.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "I have written letters to the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Union Health Minister to provide better facilities to the patients and their families coming to Delhi AIIMS from all over the country."
"Recently I saw that in freezing cold these people are forced to sleep in the subway under the metro station, where there is no provision of drinking water or a toilet. There are heaps of garbage lying around. The arrival of such a large number of patients to Delhi AIIMS also shows that people are not getting affordable and good quality health facilities where they live," Gandhi said.
"I hope that taking cognizance of my letter, the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Union Health Minister will take immediate steps to resolve this humanitarian crisis," he said.
In his letter to Nadda, Gandhi said he wants to bring to his attention "the distressing situation" outside AllMS, Delhi and went on to add that during his recent visit to the area he was saddened to see hundreds of patients and their family members huddled on the footpath and in the subway in the bitter winter cold, with only thin blankets to protect them without drinking water or sanitation facilities.
"Many of these patients travel from across the country, spend their life savings, and wait for months on end for medical care at India's premier medical institution. I am sure you will agree that no one should face such hardship, especially while already battling serious medical conditions," he said.
While AllMS Delhi delivers excellent and affordable care, the condition of patients and their families shows that health-care is still out of reach for crores of Indians, he said in his letter dated January 18.
"As public representatives, we must all work together to address these issues. I urge you to take immediate and timely steps to address the situation at AIIMS Delhi. The government of India should work with the AIIMS leadership, the Government of Delhi and charitable organizations to provide heating, bedding, water, and shelter to patients and expand permanent facilities for accommodation," Gandhi said in his letter to Nadda.
In addition, reducing the long wait times would help reduce patients' uncertainty, he said.
"Crucially, the larger systemic issue is that AIIMS Delhi is overburdened because crores of people do not have access to affordable and high-quality healthcare where they live. I urge you, as Health Minister, to recognise and address this systemic issue," Gandhi said.
As a first step, the new AllMS facilities across the country should be operationalised at the earliest, he said.
"In addition, the public healthcare infrastructure should be strengthened at all levels, from primary to tertiary, in partnership with state governments. Central healthcare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat should be reviewed to reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses as much as possible, by expanding eligibility, hospitals enrolled, and conditions covered," the former Congress chief said.
The sharp rise in the costs of private healthcare also deserves detailed scrutiny, he said.
"I hope the Government will use the upcoming Budget to review its overall approach, and substantially increase its investment in public healthcare. I request your prompt intervention on this pressing humanitarian issue. You have my full support in any endeavour to reduce the suffering of countless patients and their families," the Congress leader said.
In his letter to Atishi, Gandhi urged the Delhi government to take immediate and timely steps this winter. "More permanent solutions to accommodate patients by building and expanding permanent facilities should also be explored, in partnership with AIIMS and the Government of India, as well as charitable organisations," he said.
"I request your prompt intervention on this pressing humanitarian issue. You have my full support in any endeavour to reduce the suffering of countless patients and their families," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader on Thursday had met several patients and their families camping on the roads, footpaths and subways around the AIIMS and enquired about their problems and grievances. He had accused the Centre and the Delhi government of showing "insensitivity" towards them.
Most of the patients and their family members had complained to him about the lack of a place to stay while getting their treatment done and a long waiting time for appointments at the AIIMS.
Many of them also complained of being left with no option but to get medical tests done at private facilities and not being able to get those done at the AIIMS.
Gandhi had claimed on Saturday that the national healthcare system has been "completely destroyed" and patients are paying a heavy price in the hope of getting cheap and proper treatment at the AIIMS here.
He had shared a video of his interaction with patients and their families camping on roads, footpaths and subways near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rs 30,000 cr loss a month: Oil companies bleed as fuel prices on hold amid global energy spike
New Delhi (PTI): About Rs 700-1,000 crore loss per day. Rs 30,000 crore every month. India's state oil companies are quietly absorbing a massive financial hit to keep petrol, diesel and LPG prices unchanged even as global energy markets face a turmoil that is bigger than all previous crises combined.
While countries from Japan to United Kingdom have raised petrol and diesel prices by up to 30 per cent since the start of the West Asia conflict, fuel prices in India continue at two-year-old levels.
The war disrupted India's import of 40 per cent of crude oil (raw material for making petrol and diesel), 90 per cent cooking gas LPG and 65 per cent natural gas (used to generate electricity, make fertilizer, turned into CNG and piped to household kitchens for cooking), but state-owned oil companies have maintained uninterrupted fuel supplies with no rationing or shortage at any point in the last 10 weeks.
But this has come at a cost - Rs 30,000 crore under-recovery or loss every month for the three oil marketing companies - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The under-recoveries - the gap between input costs and realised retail prices - rose sharply in March/April before tapering a bit. Daily under-recoveries during April were estimated at about Rs 18 per litre on petrol and Rs 25 per litre on diesel, translating into average losses of Rs 700-1,000 crore a day for OMCs, they said.
At a news briefing on developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said prices in the international markets, on which India relies to meet 88 per cent of its oil needs, have been volatile and supplies impacted.
Crude oil prices which were around USD 70 per barrel two months ago, are now at USD 120, she said. "It has been government's endeavour to keep prices stable so far and that there is no price increase for consumers," she said. "This has hit finances of OMCs... monthly under-recoveries are of the order of Rs 30,000 crore."
She, however, refused to say if retail petrol and diesel prices will continue to hold.
"As I said, the endeavour so far has been to see that there is no price increase," she said.
The three oil marketing companies (OMCs) have worked overtime to keep the supply lines running even when demand spiked due to panic buying.
The government intervention included excise duty reductions and absorption of part of the fuel cost burden. The special additional excise duty on petrol was cut to Rs 3 per litre from Rs 13, while excise duty on diesel was reduced to zero from Rs 10 per litre.
The under-recoveries would have swelled to nearly Rs 62,500 crore had the government not cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each.
The government, Sharma said, has taken a hit of Rs 14,000 crore a month in cutting the excise duty.
The Centre's effective absorption at peak crude prices was estimated at around Rs 24 per litre for petrol and Rs 30 per litre for diesel.
The February 28 strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran triggered a sharp escalation in West Asia tensions. Energy prices surged as the conflict widened and shipping risks intensified in the Strait of Hormuz - the shipping lane through which India and other countries imported crude oil, LPG and natural gas from Gulf countries. Tanker movement was disrupted.
The companies also faced additional costs from emergency crude sourcing, higher freight charges due to vessel diversions, elevated marine insurance premiums and refinery optimisation expenses. Despite these pressures, fuel and LPG supplies remained uninterrupted across the country.
The surge in crude prices and the decision to shield consumers from higher retail prices placed significant strain on OMC balance sheets and refining margins, sources said.
They added that the measures reflected a policy decision to prioritise consumer stability and economic continuity during a global energy shock.
Sources warned that a prolonged period of elevated crude prices could lead to higher working capital borrowings and force some recalibration of capital expenditure plans. However, investments linked to refining expansion, energy security infrastructure, ethanol blending, biofuels and transition fuels would continue with government backing, they said.
India's approach contrasted with measures adopted by several other economies, where fuel prices rose sharply after the conflict-driven energy shock.
Petrol prices increased by about 34 per cent in Spain, 30 per cent in Japan, Italy and Israel, 27 per cent in Germany and 22 per cent in the United Kingdom, according to estimates. Several countries also introduced rationing, conservation advisories, emergency relief packages or fuel caps.
In India, petrol prices remained Rs 94.77 per litre and diesel at Rs 87.67, with no rationing, mobility restrictions or supply disruptions, they added.
Sharma said the revenues that OMCs earn are used to buy crude oil, build infrastructure to process it into fuel and create channels that will take the fuel to consumers.
Their capex spending is all dependent on the revenues they earn, she added.
