GMCH & SMGS mess

Principal, Medical Superintendent don’t know how funds are spent in the hospital

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 17: The two administrators of the main hospitals of Jammu province, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital don’t have any knowledge about the work under their command.

Surprised, but true as both of them don’t know how the funds meant for the purchase of medicine are being utilized by the hospitals.

Officials said that for the financial year 2011-12, the state government has sanctioned the total budget of Rs 5.60 crore to these two hospitals for the purchases of life saving drugs, but it is far less than what is required in the hospital.

Sources said that fund is meant for the purchase of anti-snake venom, dressing material, suture material, betadin, anti-rabies vaccine, fluid, blood bank, microbiology, pathology and ABG kits and X-ray films which are of immense requirement in the emergency cases.

When asked to comment on the less funds being at the disposal of the administration and how they cope up with their rising demands, principal GMCH Dr Rajinder Singh said that he has no knowledge of sanctioned funds from the government and it is better to ask Medical Superintendent who is dealing with purchase section of the hospital.

However Medical Superintendent Dr Romesh Gupta refused to give any comment on the issue and said that Dr Rajinder Singh will give better answer of this.

He further said that he don’t want to give any statement in this regard by make him in safer side.

If sources were believed the funds which are sanctioned are not enough as the per the demands of the medicines and other required items of the hospitals costs around Rs 7 crore, that means the administration has to bear the burden of Rs 1.40 crore which again cut downs the precious items from the purchase list of the department.

At many instance the patients also complained that the hospital administration has not providing even the basic items and they have to purchase it from outside; reason what the doctor on duty said that the hospital also facing the lack of these items.

As per the records, in 2002-03, the allocation for purchase of drugs and instruments in the GMCH was Rs 4.35 crore and the same was increased to just Rs 4.87 crore in 2004-05.  In the year 2005- 06 it received Rs 5.66 crore, in the following year of 2006-07 Rs 5.31 crore, in 2007-08 Rs 5.34 crore, in 2008-09 Rs 5.66 crore, in 2009-10 Rs 5.50 crore.