The severe fund crunch and inability of the officials to utilize the allocated funds has drastically hit the medical and health services in Telangana state.
Although the state government allocated Rs.1,493 crore for the financial year 2016-17 to the Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC), till date only 10.66 per cent of allocated funds have been released for procuring syringes, bandages, emergency medicines and for procuring CT Scan, MRI Scan and X-ray machines and other necessary medical equipment in all the government hospitals across the state.
“Though the government is talking tall of providing super specialty healthcare facilities to the common man and poor in the rural areas, all these promises are just on paper for publicity, but on the ground, the reality is totally different. Despite an allocation of Rs.1493 crores to the TSMSIDC, only an amount of Rs.160 crore has been released for providing basic medical amenities for all the PHCs, CHCs, Area Hospitals, District Hospitals, Medical colleges and Teaching hospitals in the state. This is only meager amount and it will not suffice to meet the huge growing demand in the hospitals,” informed a senior official in TSMSIDC.
In fact, for procuring the essential medicines of more than 870 different varieties, the government had allocated Rs.223 crore in the budget of which only Rs.55 crore were released in the first quarter of the financial year 2016-17 and after that there is no allocation. “Though the government is boasting of providing 877 different varieties of essential medicines to the patients in all the government hospitals, there is no fund released to buy adequate medicines and whatever that is procured by the TSMSIDC is not enough to supply the huge demands of the patients in the hospitals. Despite repeated proposals sent to the government there is no proper response and because of this the PHCs, CHCs, Area Hospitals, District hospitals are facing severe shortage of medicines and other medical equipment,” informed Shakuntala, a senior Health worker.
Out of an allocation of Rs.70 crore for procurement of syringes, bandages and other medical equipment in the hospitals till date only Rs.5 crore have been released, because of which the hospitals in the state are facing severe shortage of syringes and bandages.
For procuring medical equipment and diagnostic equipment like CT Scan, MRI Scan, X-Ray machines the state government had allocated Rs.700 crore but even after the 4th quarter coming to end not a single Rupee has been released from the government.
An amount of Rs.500 crore are allocated for the construction of hospital buildings, medical college buildings, hostels for medical college students and other infrastructure amenities in various districts. However the government could release only Rs.100 crore and this has severely hampered the development of hospital and medical college infrastructure in the state. The works on the Nizamabad medical college Academic block building are stalled in the middle because of lack of funds. Similarly the works on the Mahabubngar government medical college buildings are yet to start.
The newly established Narayan Rao Kaloji Health University in Warangal is also facing fund crunch. Though the government has allocated Rs.25 crore for the construction of building infrastructure for the university till date not a single Rupee has been released. If the situation persists further, the Medical council of India will disqualify these colleges for allocating medical seats.
For this financial year 2017-18, Under the National Health Mission, the state government had proposed an allocation of Rs.1196 crores. Last year out of a proposed Rs.750 crore from the central government the state could get only Rs.250 crores as part of center’s 60 per cent share. While the state government has to contribute 40 per cent share. But it could spend only Rs.160 crore which is even less than the allocation of central government to the state.
All this evidently prove that there is no balance in what the state government is talking and implementing on the ground. Because of this the quality of healthcare services are degrading in the state.