Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 29: Meals to patients who are admitted in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu and its associated hospitals might be stopped in coming days as the authorities have not cleared the outstanding of the supplier.
The supplier has already stopped supply of breakfast to the patients after the purchasing committee of the GMC failed to clear its pending bills totaling about Rs 1.83 crore. Now, sources said, the supplier is likely to stop the afternoon meal as well.
"It seems the supplying firm would be unable to continue the supply of diets to all these hospitals, as their payment is pending for a long time. Ironically, now when it's likely that the meals would be stopped, the authorities seem unbothered about the plight of patients," the sources said.
A member of the firm supplying meals told Early Times, "We are now fed up. Our repeated reminders about the outstanding to the administration of the hospital as well as the high authorities of the Health Department have fallen on deaf ears."
He said that after seeing the callous attitude of the authorities concerned, they are seriously thinking to stop afternoon meal to the patients of these hospitals, as their financial position does not allow them to continue with the supply of diet. "The service would not be started till the payments are cleared," he said.
The pending bills of the supplier amount to Rs 1.83 crore till May 31, 2015. The break-up of the amount goes like this: Rs 38, 24, 336 with GMCH; Rs 69, 83, 595 with SMGS Hospital; Rs 15, 74,099 with Super Specialty Hospital; Rs 37, 67,055 with Chest Diseases Hospital; Rs 8, 84, 482 with PSY Diseases Hospital; Rs 10, 46, 020 with Gandhi Nagar Hospital; and Rs 2, 33,422 with Sarwal Hospital.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent, GMC Hospital Jammu, Dr Ravinder Ratan Paul said, "We are expecting that the funds would be released by government soon. But I can't say how much time it will take." About the warning of the supplier to stop the meals, Dr Paul said, "We have not received any such information so far." |
