New Delhi, July 2: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has leveled serious allegations against the Delhi government regarding a purported drug scam. Saurabh Bhardwaj, the party’s Delhi state president, claimed there were significant irregularities in the purchase of bed sheets for government hospitals, with commissions reaching as high as 200%. He referred to this issue as part of a larger alleged drug scam worth ₹650 crores, dubbing it the “bed sheet scam.”
Bhardwaj alleged that the company supplying bed sheets to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) provided them at ₹150 each, while the Delhi government purchased the same sheets at ₹450 each. According to him, this resulted in an additional payment of approximately ₹300 per bed sheet, which he termed as a 200% commission. He noted that Delhi’s government hospitals have around 15,500 beds, and the government spent ₹75 crores to acquire approximately 1.66 million bed sheets.
This translates to an average of 106 bed sheets purchased for each bed. Bhardwaj asserted that excessive procurement of bed sheets led to the misuse of public funds, with an alleged loss of around ₹50 crores. He claimed that previously, government hospitals had the autonomy to purchase bed sheets and other supplies as needed, but the current government imposed a centralized procurement system, mandating all purchases through a central procurement agency.
He alleged that this system was exploited to make purchases at arbitrary prices. Furthermore, Bhardwaj accused the tender process of favoring three companies linked to the same family, which compromised competition and ultimately led to a single company receiving the purchase order. He called for a fair investigation into the matter and demanded action against those responsible.
Bhardwaj also raised concerns regarding outsourced lab services. He alleged that the Delhi government abruptly halted outsourced lab services in 28 government hospitals, 203 dispensaries, and 370 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. According to him, district-level doctors and officials had raised questions about the tender process and its provisions, prompting the government to suspend these services.
AAP claims that complaints regarding this tender, issued in 2025, have been ongoing, and approval for the second year remains pending. The party alleged that there have been widespread irregularities in the procurement and tender processes within the health department.
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