BMHRC gets seperate budget of Rs 140 cr, DHR hints at autonomy

Bhopal: In a first, Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) has been allocated a separate budgetary allocation to the tune of Rs 140 crore.
Around Rs 40 crore of this would be utilised for upgradation of ailing super speciality institute. Shortage of medicines and other medical supplies is also likely to be taken care of in the coming week, according to a Union government's department of health research (DHR) official.Sources said delayed salary payment in April would be resolved by Monday. "If the separate budgetary allocation is an indication, BMHRC is on the way to be autonomous centre of excellence," official said. Earlier this year, DHR had indicated making BMHRC an autonomous centre for excellence, in its reply to MP High Court in connection with a health petition. In a recent meeting in New Delhi attended by gas activists and senior MP government officials, top DHR officials had discussed framing of recruitment rules for BMHRC employees and its implementation by May.
According to an MP government official who attended the meeting, DHR said it would approach the department of personnel and training (DoPT) and then recruitments would be formalised through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). For over six years, BMHRC employees have been awaiting implementation of recruitment rules at the super speciality institute. BMHRC is also facing shortage of super specialists. As things stand, cardiology and cardio thoracic vascular surgery (CTVS) facilities could come to a halt. A lone specialist in cardiology has resigned and is serving notice period. Department of neurology is functioning without a DM. Departments of endocrinology, nephrology and gastroenterology are without super specialists too. Taking a serious note of the situation and its impact on the hospital services, Union government has approved appointment of contractual doctors and permitted to recruit specialists through deputation, said a DHR official.