| Govt sanctioned funds for new machine; admn yet to place orders | | At GMCH, docs examine patients with 'dead' endoscopy machine | | Avinash Azad
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 21: Virtually playing with lives of the people, doctors at Jammu's Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) are examining patients with an endoscopy machine, which was declared 'out of order' some months ago.
Ironically, the hospital administration did not replace the defunct machine even as the state government has sanctioned funds purchasing necessary equipment.
"On September 7, the government sanctioned around Rs 220 lakh to GMC Jammu to purchase an endoscopy machine (which costs around Rs 85 lakh), six multi para monitors for SSH (Rs 15 lakh), four sets of neurosurgical instruments for SSH, (Rs 40 lakh), one sleep lab for CD Hospital (Rs 30 lakh), X-ray plant for Radiodiagnosis Department of GMC (Rs 21 lakh) and Boyles Apparatus for SSH (Rs 30 lakh)", sources told Early Times.
But despite availability of funds, except for purchase of X-ray plant, orders have not been placed for these machines, said sources.
"The GMC administration is adopting pick-and-chose policy in case of placing orders for required machines," said sources.
"Experts from the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIEIT) had said that the endoscopy machine had lived its life and must be replaced," said sources.
"You had raised some queries regarding the endoscopy machine. In this connection it is to mention that the machine is old and has almost lived its life. Even though the machine is currently in working mode, (it) can't be trusted fully keeping in view the patients in single unit and the nature of life saving procedure done, the volume of endoscopic in the hospital. It is therefore requested that a new machine be purchased," said the NIEIT experts in their letter to Medical Superintendent GMCH Jammu, under reference number 18(12.17)-15, on March 10.
"There is no endoscopy machine in Jammu, while the GMC Srinagar has 10 endoscopy machines," they said.
Notably, under 13th Finance Commission, there is an unspent balance of Rs 2243.34 lakh during 2015-16 as incentive for achieving reduction in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).Meanwhile, no senior official of the GMCH was available for comment. |
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