Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 29: About 2000 patients admitted in Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu and its associated hospitals viz SMGS Hospital, Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), CD Hospital (CDH), PSY Hospital (PSYH), Ayurvedic Hospital, Government Hospital (Gandhi Nagar) and Government Hospital, Sarwal may have to suffer from November 3, as owing to about Rs 1.62 crore liability, Mahamaya Sales Corporation, the supplier of patient diet in these hospitals has expressed its inability to supply diet from the said date in case its dues are not cleared.
In a letter addressed to Principal, GMCH, Jammu, on October 28, 2014, the firm said, “It is requested to please get our liability cleared upto August 2014 so that we may be able to meet our expenses and salaries of our employees, otherwise we will be unable to carry this job with effect from November 3, 2014.”
The copies of the letter were also sent to Medical Superintendent (MS), GMCH Jammu, MS, SMGS Jammu, MS, CD Hospital and MS, PSY Hospital, who are the main debtors.
According to Rakesh Sharma, one of the partners in the firm, out of total liability of Rs 1.6 crore, an amount of about Rs 37 lakh is pending with GMCH Jammu, Rs 69 lakh with SMGS Hospital, Rs 28 lakh with CDH, Rs 8.7 lakh with SSH, Rs 8.4 lakh with PSYH, Rs 7.7 lakh with Gandhi Nagar Hospital, Rs 1.4 lakh with Sarwal Hospital, and Rs 1.2 lakh with Ayurvedic Hospital.
He said due to non-receipt of long pending dues on account of diet supply, not only payment of our supporting suppliers but also the salary of the staff members is also getting delayed. “In such situation, we are unable to carry the job further”, he added.
He said, “We also took up the matter with Minister for Health and Education, Taj-Mohi-ud-Din who in a meeting held recently at GMCH Jammu, directed Principal, GMCH Jammu to project the demands of funds to clear the liability on account of diet under plan and non-plan budget in the revised estimates so that funds could be provided to us in time. However, the Minister further directed the Principal that for the time being the liability on account of diet be cleared out of the savings if any under plan and non-plan budget”.
About 2000 patients admitted in various hospitals viz GMCH Jammu (800), SMGS Hospital (750), SSH Jammu (150), DCH (150), PSYH (30-40), Ayurvedic Hospital (30-40), Government Hospital Sarwal (30-40) and Govern-ment Hospital Gandhi Nagar (30-40) would be affected directly if the supply of diet is ceased by the supplier.
Talking to the EXCELSIOR, MS, GMCH Jammu, Dr Ravinder Rattan Pal, admitted that liabilities of Rs 1.6 crore of diet supplier are pending. He said, “As soon as the funds are released by the Government, we would clear all pending dues of the diet supplier.”
On a question that why such a problem occurred, Mr Pal said earlier the funds were used to be released under plan budget and then such problem did not occur but now the funds are released under non-plan budget and that too very little, so we are unable to clear all liabilities.
When asked what would happen if the supplier ceases the supply of diet from November 3, 2014, he said, “It is clear that presently we have no funds to pay to the supplier, so if such a situation arises we will see how to deal with it.”
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