The vendors supplying medicines and the Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited (UPCl) have threatened to stop serving Doon Hospital if their pending payments are not released soon. The hospital which is the biggest Government hospital of the State owes more than Rs 5.50 crore to these vendors.
The UPCl has served a warning to the hospital administration that it would be forced to cut the power supply of the hospital if its dues are not reimbursed soon. It is learnt that the UPCl has given a deadline of first week of January to the hospital administration. The hospital owes more than Rs 20 lakh to the UPCl. Similarly, the hospital owes Rs 1.75 crore to the vendors of medicines and reagents, Rs 1.40 crore for local purchase (lP) of medicines, Rs 40 lakh to the vendor supplying cooked food to the patients, Rs 60 lakh for surgical equipment, Rs 20 lakh for maintenance of machines and equipment and Rs 10 lakh for fuel.
The Doon Hospital also pays the salaries of the contractual heath, sanitation and paramedic staff. There are about 70 contractual sanitation employees and 19 contractual security personnel in the hospital. The hospital also owes Rs 45 lakh in lieu of salaries of contractual staff.
The Principal Medical Superintendent (PMS) of Doon hospital, Dr R S Aswal, accepted that the delay in budget is causing problems in functioning of the hospital. He said that the hospital has received installments for only two quarters of the financial year though fourth quarter of the year has started. The PMS accepted that vendors are threatening to stop supplies in the absence of payments.
When contacted, the Director-General (DG) of Health Services, Dr G S Joshi, said that his office has not received the budget allocation from the Government and added that the hospital would get its installment as soon as the Health Directorate receives it.
The annual budget of the hospital is Rs 11.324 crore out of which the hospital has received only Rs 5 crore in two installments till date.
Hospitals blamed for delay in release of funds
Dehradun: It appears that senior State Government officials have got into the habit of taking action only when things take a serious turn. This habit is clearly visible in a knee jerk like action of the Government as it released Rs 10 crore on Monday when the 108 ambulance services remained halted for three days. The delay in approval of budget for Doon and other Government hospitals also shows lack of planning on the part of Government. Sources said that the budget of the hospitals is pending as the Government has not received the mandatory Utilization Certificate (UC) from all the hospitals and as the babus prefer to work as per their convenience the budget would be released when they wish or when there is some pressure in the form of public outcry is on them. Health department officials reveal that earlier the Government hospitals used to get the budget in advance but from this year due to the reasons best known to the department of finance the Government is releasing the budget after the end of financial quarter.
Rs 10 cr released for 108 Ambulance services
Dehradun: The state government released the pending budget to GVK EMRI 108 ambulance service on Monday. In absence of reimbursement of pending fuel bills the petrol pump owners were refusing to supply fuel due to which operation of these ambulances was stopped.
The Director General of health services Dr G S Joshi told The Pioneer that the Government Order (GO) for releasing Rs 10 Crore for the ambulance service was issued on Monday. He said that the budget would be released to the ambulance service on Tuesday. Dr Joshi informed that he has directed all the Chief Medical Officers (CMO) to ensure that the ambulances are not halted in absence of fuel. When contacted the Head of GVK EMRI 108 Ambulance service Manish Tinku claimed that efforts are being made to ensure that all the fleet of the ambulance is on road by Monday night.
In absence of budget 75 ambulances of 108 services and ‘Khusiyon Ki Savari’ were halted. The annual budget for GVK EMRI 108 service is Rs 22 core. The GVK EMRI 108 service has 139 ambulances which includes a boat ambulance (deployed in Tehri lake) in the state. Similarly the annual budget for ambulance service ‘Khushiyon Ki Savari’ which caters the mothers and newly born children as it drops them to their home is Rs 8 Crore. The founder head of GVK EMRI 108 ambulance service in Uttarakhand and AAP leader Anoop Nautiyal has termed the halting of vital ambulance service in absence of budget as unfortunate. In a statement he said that it is regretful that the state government which not long ago boasted of serving the people in emergency situations in air, water and land is not able to provide fuel for the ambulances. Nautiyal said that the delay in budget is also affecting the morale of the staff of the 108 service and added that he would meet the Chief Minister and health minister and request them to give utmost priority for operation of the ambulance service in the state.