JAMMU, Aug 16: Notwithstanding its claims to extend free Medicare to weaker sections of the society, the government has allocated the Rs 5.60 crore to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu for purchasing medicines and other items, for the second consecutive year, this year.
 The premier health institution is already burdened with a liability of Rs 1.50 crore against the last year’s allocations, which has to be met within the fresh allocations.
 Sources said the administration of the hospital, which caters to thousands of patients every month, is not happy with the allocations, but its repeated pleas to the government for reconsideration have fallen to the deaf ears.
 Official data indicates that the budget for the premier hospital has remainded same for    last over six years despite huge cost escalations.
 Under the total budget of  Rs 5.60 crore , the hospital has to bear  the expenses on purchase of   life saving drugs and instruments which include 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.
 “The Rs 1.50 crore liability has to be cleared from the present allocation, putting further cap on the purchase”, said a senior doctor on condition of anonymity. Sources said that fund release had got further delayed as the states annual plan was finalised in June itself and so far only Rs 2.50 crore have been released.
 In recent past, patients have repeatedly complained that they are made to purchase even basic items from outside as the doctors say that they are facing shortage of these items.
 As per the government data, in 2002-03, the allocation for purchase of drugs and instruments in the GMC 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.
 “There has been cost escalation of all the essential items in past few years, but that has not been kept in mind by the planners. And all the wrath of the patients fall on the doctors in case of any problem”, said a serving doctor.
 Further allocation under hospital instruments purchase, has also been reduced from Rs 81.73 lakh in 2002-03 to Rs 68.40 lakh in 2010-11.
 Surprisingly when contacted principal GMC Dr. Rajinder Singh said that he has nothing to do with the purchase and it is the purchase section which can answer it. “You better ask the purchase section about the issue as they deal with it”.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST