CAG report pulls up four hospitals for ‘unfruitful’ purchases

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has rapped four city hospitals for “unfruitful expenditure” on purchases of equipment, drugs, reports Vidya Krishnan.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has rapped four city hospitals for “unfruitful expenditure” on purchases (of equipment, drugs, etc).

HT Image

The report on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital and GB Pant Hospital points out several accounts that cost the government exchequer lakhs of rupees.

At Lok Nayak Hospital, two infant ventilators were procured for Rs 13.22 lakh with “serious defects”. Both machines could not be installed even after 26 months of purchase. The report adds that the machines were purchased from M/s Rohanika despite the company not meeting technical specifications.

Similarly, at GB Pant Hospital a 100 kg incinerator purchased for Rs 20.53 lakh has not been put to use in the last 4 and a half years. “The audit does not justify procurement of a separate incinerator for GB Pant. This matter was referred to the government in July 2007 but reply is awaited,” reads the report.

At Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, two machines — dental X-ray and multi parameter monitor — worth Rs 19.67 lakh were purchased. Two years have passed since the purchase. “Due to inefficiencies on part of the hospital, the machines have not been put in use. Besides being unfruitful expenditure, this has adversely affected the patient care services,” states the audit report.

Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital failed to get an oxygen concentrator repaired within the warranty period. This lead to an avoidable expenditure of Rs 34.25 lakh on procurement of oxygen cylinders from local sources.