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.