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| Hospital Development Fund utilized for salaries of employees, maintenance takes a hit | | | Mudasir Tariq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Jan 23: A scandal has come to fore in the health department as the Hospital Development Funds (HDF) meant for developmental process has been utilized as salaries for the employees in the department.
Over the years the health sector of the state has been in news pertaining to the loopholes in the department and the latest scandal has added yet another dimension to the 'malfunctioning' of the department.
Sources in the department reveal that over the past many years the funds have been diverted towards the salaries of those employees who were recruited in contravention of norms by the higher authorities. "Violating all the norms large army of unemployed people were recruited by the department through backdoor entry without any approval. These are known as ghost employees and now the department is paying these people from developmental funds. These have been recruited upon the recommendations of senior officers, retired officers and former legislators," said sources.
Reportedly in order to generate these funds a mechanism has been put in place wherein all patients in health institutions would be charged for the OPD, IPD tickets, laboratory tests and other investigations and the ambulance charges. The funds are not being used for the cause which authorities had earlier decided.
Meanwhile, people working in the Health Department held that higher ups in the department are hand in glove with politicians who engage their kin in the department thus draining the necessary funds that were otherwise meant to develop healthcare facilities.
"This is a case of every hospital; you can see the people of local leaders and former MLAs have been recruited who are being paid from the home funds. This is injustice with the qualified youth who despite having professional degrees are not able to secure a job," said Samiullah Rah, a Lab technician in the health department.
The diversion of funds is said to have affected the maintenance part of the hospitals. It is also said to have largely affected the medicare, sanitation system, lavatory, dumping of garbage and renovation of hospitals in the state.
"Everyone blames that government hospitals lack medical facilities, they are dirty and polluted. This is the reason why everyone is complaining. Unless and until the authorities stop diverting the funds meant for development the health sector will never develop," said Dr. Arshid Hussain.
Pertinently during the initial years 50 percent of the amount generated from local funds was deposited in the government treasuries and the remaining 50 percent was deposited by all institutions in the nearest banks as their Hospital Development Fund. This fund was meant to make minor repairs of the institutions or for purchase of minor equipment/ furniture or life saving medicines in case of emergency and non-availability of such drugs. "The Hospital Development Fund (HDF) has been misunderstood and mistaken as Hospital Employment Fund (HEF). It is a matter of serious concern and authorities need to check this fraud," said Dr. Arshid. |
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