Crores splashed for nothing

It would be too optimistic to expect damaged equipment in Kerala’s government hospitals to get repaired quickly. The officials often blame the company providing the service. It would be too petulant to expect loyalty from the company since the dues for previous services remain unpaid.

Efforts have also been made to extend the repair of equipment as much as possible to help nearby private testing labs and centres. It has also been revealed in previous investigations that some employees have deliberately damaged equipment. Decentralisation of power in many matters of the health department has not yet been implemented in accordance with the newer times. If the equipment is damaged, the doctor in charge should inform their superior in writing. He will inform the superintendent. In the case of a medical college, the superintendent should inform the DME and the DME Health Department. If more money is needed, the permission of the minister or the cabinet itself is required. By the time all this is done, the equipment will be rusty. The procedure would be completed in a day or two in a private hospital. However, the same will take months in government hospitals.

This system needs to change. The first thing the Health Department should do is to conduct a study on completely changing the current system, where power is concentrated only at the top. Accordingly, implementing decentralisation of power and setting a time limit for the decision-making process can solve many problems.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced a comprehensive departmental inquiry into the purchase of equipment during the last ten years. The inquiry is based on complaints and on what the minister witnessed himself. Crores were splashed on equipment only to keep them aside without even using them once. If these were purchased for commission purposes, then it is also necessary to find out where the commission went. Most of the equipment purchased during the COVID period and the equipment distributed by the central government have been piled up in some corners, unused. This inquiry is also based on what the minister personally observed at Wayanad Medical College the other day.

Expensive equipment, including mobile morgues, was found dumped in a godown at Wayanad Medical College. An autoclave machine in front of the super speciality block at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College is deteriorating due to rain and sun.

While the investigation is on, the health department should also check how many of these devices can be recovered. Companies can operate many machines with simple repairs. The government should also give priority to operating the damaged ones by clearing the dues as much as possible, along with the investigation.