The Comptroller and Auditor General of India(CAG) has indicted government medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh for depriving patients of adequate healthcare by violating provisions of financial rules and not procuring essential equipment on time.
Government medical colleges (GMC) did not procure clinical and teaching equipment though adequate funds were provided by the government, resulting in shortages, it said. There are 18 government medical colleges and one medical university in the state.
"The government medical colleges failed to provide adequate treatment to cancer/heart patients as equipment such as Cobalt Heliotherapy, Brach therapy unit, left Ventricular Assist Device and others were not being operated in hospitals due to lack of doctors/technical persons/ infrastructure. The GMCs did not execute annual maintenance contract for equipment and as a result, machines were not functional and tests for cervix cancer, foetal monitoring, and prenatal diagnosis, bio-chemical and hormonal tests could not be conducted," the report said.
The CAG report on general and social sector for the year ending March 31, 2016 was tabled in the UP Assembly on Thursday. The report said that King Georges Medical University (KGMU), lucknow, did not follow correct procedure for tendering and procurement of equipment. Besides KGMU has a shortage of 41.77 per cent of clinical equipment while Meerut medical college has a shortage of 59.84 per cent, Gorakhpur of 27.21 per cent and Jhansi of 41.77 per cent.
In the teaching equipment shortage, KGMU leads with 72.37 per cent followed by 62.90 per cent in Meerut, 56.33 per cent in Gorakhpur and 50.06 per cent in Jhansi.
During the audit, it was noticed that of the 212 equipment installed in 15 departments of Jhansi medical colleges, 76 equipment costing Rs 2.74 crore were not in working condition due to lack of Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC).
Similarly in Gorakhpur, equipment like Colnoscope, Nd-YAG laser, NST Machine and USG machines were not functional for more than five years due to lack of AMC.
In KGMU, two equipment purchased at Rs 48 lakh in 2008-09 for conducting bio-chemical and hormonal tests were not functional due to lack of AMC.
The audit also found an excess payment of Rs 90.90 lakh by the KGMU in purchase of 15 ventilators for Trauma Centre. While the KGMU purchased these ventilators at the rate of Rs 24.42 lakh each, the same ventilators purchased from the same company by SGPGIMS, lucknow was prcied at Rs 18.36 lakhs per unit.