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| Discrimination in Covid-19 funding suffocates Jammu! | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 30: An alleged discrimination in grant of Covid19 funds for Jammu has allegedly led to the shortage of infrastructure leading to spike in the number of infected cases of the deadly virus in the winter capital region.
Official documents reveal that on June 23, 2020, the State Executive Committee (SEC) had sanctioned Rs 15 crore to boost the health infrastructure in the major hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu for combating Covid-19 pandemic.
The multi-crore funding was made under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to major health institutions for further procuring essential labs and equipment for handling the Covid-19 pandemic. The SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar; Government Medical College, Jammu and Srinagar were sanctioned Rs 5 crore each.
Official sources said in reality while Kashmir region was given Rs ten crores for the job, Jammu was given half of that amount.
Medical health experts said the alleged discrimination with Jammu had remained unnoticed as the funds were granted in such a manner that “funding sounded confusing.”
That time the government had said Rs five crores each have been granted to three hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir whereas two of these hospitals were in Srinagar alone.
“This simply meant that hospitals in Jammu have been given Rs five crore whereas Kashmir was blessed with double the amount,” explained the experts.
Officials said it lead to upgradation of more infrastructure in Kashmir whereas Jammu remained allegedly neglected.
“As a result when the cases witnessed spike the government hospitals in Jammu didn’t even have the proper oxygen supplies for the patients than to talk of other facilities,” explained a health expert.
He said what was the logic of giving less funds to Jammu when both the regions had similar requirements.
That time the government had said the funds would be placed with the divisional commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir for this purpose.
Officials had said as per MHA guidelines, the SDRF funds for Covid-19 containment efforts in government hospitals can be utilized for setting up additional testing laboratories, procurement of personal protection equipment for health workers and other related consumables for government hospitals and thus could have given a major boost to such facilities in Jammu. “The funding under SDRF is over and above the funding that is being provided to the health department during the course of the year,’’ the spokesperson had said.
But a senior official refuted the charges of discrimination with Jammu adding that Kashmir did not get more funds. “The reality is that all the three hospitals got the same funds,” he said on the condition of anonymity. |
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