Chairman LC allows discussion
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Jan 24: Chairman of the State Legislative Council has given his nod for House discussion on the BJP MLC Ramesh Arora’s queries with regard to non-functioning of CCTV cameras, vital equipments and Fire Alarm Systems besides missing of equipments worth crores of rupees in the Super Specialty Hospital Jammu after the Legislator expressed dissatisfaction over the Government reply on his questions.
In support of his argument, Arora produced a copy of the current year performance audit of Super Specialty Hospital Jammu, according to which CSSD equipments, CCTV camera, Fire Fighting and Fire Alarm Systems installed in the SSH Jammu had not functioned and remained out of order rendering expenditure of Rs 3.34 crores incurred thereon unfruitful while 62 medical equipments valuing Rs 2.77 crore and non-medical furniture items valuing Rs 1.66 crore, were not traceable in the hospital.
“Out of 315 medical equipments, valuing Rs 45.61 crores, supplied by M/s HLL Lifecare Limited and CPWD, 61 equipments valuing Rs 2.77 crore were not traceable, 66 equipments valuing Rs 4.58 crores had not been installed and out of 188 installed equipment, 38 valuing Rs 2.20 crores were non-functional and out of order, mostly due to non-execution of maintenance contracts,” says the report by the Indian Audit and Accounts Office of the Accountant General (Audit), J&K, that conducted performance audit of the SSH Jammu in June-July 2017.
Cross check of records relating to medical equipments supplied by M/s HLL Lifecare Limited with the stock registers of General Store of SSH Jammu and records of concerned Heads of Departments of GMC Jammu revealed that five medical equipments valuing Rs 1.l71 crores had not been accounted for in the records and were not available in the hospitals.
Further, 52 medical equipments valuing Rs 1.02 crores, supplied by M/s HLL Lifecare Ltd and four equipments valuing Rs 3.81 lakh, supplied by the CPWD, though entered in the stock register of General Store of SSH Jammu and shown issued to various Medical Departments of the GMC, were not available in these departments.
The Audit report, a copy of which is available with the Excelsior, has pointed out that out of State share of Rs 20 crores, an amount of Rs 8 crores was shown incurred on procurement of medical equipment as per Status report submitted by the Principal GMC Jammu to the Government in February 2017. Against this, Rs 5.71 crores were placed at the disposal of CPWD and balance Rs 2.29 crores had been shown utilized for purchase of 25 medical equipments. Audit noticed that these 25 medical equipments were not found accounted for in the record/stock registers and were not traceable either in the Super Specialty Hospital or in GMC Jammu. The details of 25 medical equipments valuing Rs 2.29 crores, including procurement agency and payment particulars were not furnished to Audit.
After this was pointed out in the Audit, the Principal GMC Jammu stated that Rs 2.04 crores had been released in favour of executing agencies but the reply was silent about non-accounted and untraceable medical equipments.
The Audit further noticed that physical verification of stores had never been conducted since March 2013, when the SSH was handed over by the CPWD, despite the fact that Financial Rules provide for annual physical verification of store/stock for reconciliation of book balance of stock with physical balance.
Further, maintenance contracts were not entered into with the suppliers resulting in a number of medical equipments turning into non-functional.
The audit also noticed that CSSD equipment installed in the Super Specialty Block of GMC Jammu had not been functional and remained out of order. The equipment could not be maintained due to non-availability of Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) and other related documents, which were lying with the firm. The load of sterilization of various equipments and linen of the SSH was taken by the Medical Superintendent GMC Hospital Jammu due to non-functioning of CSSD and therefore the Hospital incurred an expenditure of Rs 13.18 lakh on procurement of two sterilization equipments in March 2017.
Pertinent to mention that the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD), is an integrated place in hospitals and other health care facilities that perform sterilization and other actions on medical devices, equipments and consumable, for subsequent use by health workers in the operating theatre of the hospital and also for other aseptic procedures, e.g. catheterization, wound stitching and bandaging in medical surgical, maternity or pediatric ward. M/s NAT Steel Equipment Pvt Ltd, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, was awarded contract for providing and installation of CSSD items and an expenditure of Rs 1.41 crores was incurred on the same.
Audit also noticed that the Fire Fighting and Fire Alarm systems, installed in the hospital after incurring an expenditure of Rs 1.05 croress and Rs 81.76 lakh respectively, had not been functioning. Even during the fire incidents that occurred in December 2013 in modular operation theatre, in November 2014 in main UPS system and in July 2015 in UPS system for CT scan machine in the SSH, the fire alarm system and fire fighting system had not worked altogether. The purpose for which the fire fighting and Fire Alarm systems were installed, had not been achieved thereby rendering the entire expenditure of Rs 1.86 crores incurred thereon unfruitful, the audit report says.
Audit also noticed that the CCTV cameras, installed in the SSH after incurring an expenditure of Rs 17.32 lakh, had not been functioning thereby rendering the entire expenditure unfruitful.
However, the Government in answer to Ramesh Arora’s queries in this regard, stated that the CCTV cameras were functional while the fire extinguishers system, fire alarm systems and other fire safety equipments had never been tested by the concerned. With regard to missing and not maintained equipments, the Government only said that the audit team had raised 14 queries on these issues following which a committee was constituted.
On the request of Ramesh Arora, who termed the replies `wrong’ and `un-satisfactory’, Chairman Legislative Council, Haji Inayat Ali allowed half an hour long discussion under Rule 51 of Legislative Procedure Rules on the questions raised by the MLC. The discussion is likely to be held on January 29 or January 30.
Follow our WhatsApp channel