Bureaucracy rushes to utilize DPC money for city med colleges

Nagpur: The directorate of medical education and research (DMER) and the medical education department seems to have woken up from their slumber and placed orders for purchase of several equipment in the last few days against the money allocated by District Planning Committee (DPC) for the two medical colleges in city.
Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) and its wing Super Specialty Hospital (SSH) together got Rs6.5 crore and the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College (IGGMC) got Rs3 crore.In all city got 9.5 crore and another Rs1 crore for Daga Hospital. Last year, DMER had lost Rs22 crore for 14 medical colleges in state and over Rs5 crore for city colleges as the medical education department had failed to purchase equipment before February 15, the deadline for purchase in a financial year. The administration seems to have learnt some lessons and is now making purchases.
State DMER Dr Pravin Shingare told TOI that his office had completed the process of purchase in last eight days for GMCH, IGGMC and SSH for about Rs5.50 crore and the remaining would also be completed in another few days. “This year at least we will be able to utilize 90-95% of the money allocated to Nagpur,” he said.
On Monday GMCH dean Dr A Niswade had told the DPC review meeting that of the Rs3 crore meant for GMCH purchases worth only Rs95.7 lakh had been done and process for buying equipment for remaining Rs1.97 crore was on. OSD of the SSH Dr Manish Shirigiriwar too had told the DPC chairman and Nagpur guardian minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule that of the Rs3.5 crore, purchases of only Rs1.88 crore had been made.
Suddenly Dr Shingare came out with information on latest purchases on Tuesday and promised to utilize the entire money.
Daga Hospital was given Rs1 crore mainly for medicines and some minor construction work. The hospital has utilized most of it and is likely to use the remaining in the present fortnight.
Simplified purchase procedure needed
Although nobody is officially commenting on it, almost everyone in entire bureaucratic chain wants the extremely complicated and lengthy procedure to purchase equipment for medical colleges simplified. At present, though administrative approval for purchase of equipment is given by the district collector, the colleges still cannot buy it. The dean cannot buy anything beyond Rs3 lakh while DMER cannot buy anything above Rs10 lakh. Hence almost every purchase ends up going to medical education secretary.
“We have been demanding a change in rules for several years. Once the district collector has given administrative approval, the college should be able to buy the equipment since the money is from District Planning Committee. But planning department doesn’t approve of it. The treasury too doesn’t accept this,” said a senior official.
Another official suggested a reverse time-line be prepared for making decisions and giving approvals immediately after DPC allocates funds and everyone should adhere to it.
GMCH
Allocated: Rs3 crore
Equipment worth Rs2.4 crore already bought, Rs 60 lakh remaining
Equipment bought: OT lights, OT double dome lights, operating microscopes, diode lasers, OT tables, anaesthsia equipment- orthopaedic drill machine, dryers, scrubbers, ophthalmic analysers, orthoscope camera
Still to be bought: ventilators, X-ray machines, gene-expert, gastroscope
IGGMC
Allocated Rs3 crore
Equipment worth Rs2.8 crore already bought
Equipment bought: Central oxygen pipeline system ordered and will be installed soon
Still to be bought: digital radiography and multiparameter monitors
SSH
Allocated: Rs3.5 crore
Equipment worth Rs 2.70 crore bought, Rs 80 lakh remaining
Equipment bought: video endoscopes, ultrasonography machines, haemodialysis machines, cautery machines, anaesthsia machines, invasive instruments
Still to be bought: Lower urinary tract set, C-arm image intensifier, neurosurgery operation table