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| SKIMS spends money on machines instead of life-saving medicines | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Sept 23: While poor patients in Valley's only super-specialty hospital are hankering from pillar to post for want of life saving drugs, crores of rupees are being spent by the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) authorities to purchase 'unnecessary and sub-standard machines', sources told KNS.
They said in the last few months only 'unnecessary and sub-standard' machines have been purchased for crores of rupees while stocks of life saving medicines have been exhausted.
"Patients who have to undergo surgeries have to purchase even gloves and medicines from the market. There are dozens of medicines which are out of stock for the last few months but the authorities are least bothered to acquire these as there isn't much scope to earn commissions in it," a senior medico in the hospital told KNS.
He said the SKIMS authorities prefer to purchase machines as they get higher commissions in it compared to the medicines.
"Only a few months back, 15 electro surgical cauterys were purchased each at the cost of Rs five lakhs. Though there are only 10 theatres in the hospital, 15 new cauterys were purchased. The machines were purchased without the approval of the technical committee. Similarly, new light systems with cameras and operation tables were purchased without the information of the concerned heads of departments," sources told KNS.
In his letter number SIMS/101 2011/99 on March 17, 2011 the Head of Anesthesiology and Critical Care department SKIMS had objected to the purchase of new machines. He wrote to Director that one fresh operation table was fixed in one of the Neurosurgery operation theatres under suspicious circumstances without his information.
"Today on March 17 while on routine morning rounds of main operation theatre complex, I found one fresh operation table was fixed in one of the Neurosurgery OTs. On enquiring I was told that during previous evening the table was brought to operation threate by some supplier," the letter reads.
The table had been fixed in the theatre after working hours without knowledge of HoD and convener of the Technical Committee. "It seems that some vested interests are trying backdoor entry of this item into the theatre," the letter adds.
He had requested the Director to enquire into the matter so that necessary action is taken against the person responsible for the action.
Similarly, two Oxygen Concentrator Plants worth Rs 1.5 crore each were purchased without the approval from the purchase committee. The firm which was allotted the tender supplied 'sub-standard' plants at much higher rates instead of the original ones which were mentioned in the tender.
The chief of materials management SKIMS vide letter number SIMS-324-13-2010 on 30 May 2011 wrote to M/s Unissi (India) Pvt Ltd that the plants they had supplied were not of the same model as had been ordered.
"You have supplied the Oxygen Concentrator Plant model number 0500EC03 while the order had been placed for model number 0.500ECOV2. As per the label fixed on the equipment, the plant has been manufactured by the Oxymat Denmark 87 while as the supply order reads Oxymat A/S Slovakia," the letter reads.
A senior official in the materials management department told KNS that authorities were trying to purchase some linear accelerators which cost crores of rupees. "The tenders are being formulated in such a way so that only blue-eyed firms who pay higher commissions to the officials are eligible to supply these," he said.
Sources told KNS that this was just the tip of the iceberg as dozens of such sub-standard machines were purchased by the SKIMS authorities without approval from the technical committees. "There is a mess in the hospital as patients are dying for want of medicines but the Director SKIMS and his friends who are involved in private practice also are purchasing unnecessary machines as they get good commission on it," they added. |
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