CAG report points to 'serious' inadequacies in healthcare

There were "serious" inadequacies in creation of infrastructure and providing healthcare services in terms of availability as well as quality care in Karnataka, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in a report said.
It said out of 113 taluk hospitals which were upgraded as hundred bedded hospitals in 2006-07, only 63 were functional with bed strength of hundred.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today presented the CAG report on the General and Social Sector for the year ended March 31, 2015, in the Assembly.
According to the report, a performance audit of the healthcare facilities in state sector hospitals including autonomous and teaching hospitals' under the secondary and tertiary level of health care was conducted covering the period 2010-15.

Listing out the inadequacies, the report said in the 28 test checked hospitals most of them had not obtained statutory compliance from the fire authority, Atomic Energy Regulation Board for X-ray and CT scan units, State Pollution Control Board for biochemical waste management, excise permit for storing spirit, and license for blood bank.
It also pointed out that 75 per cent of hospitals had less sanctioned strength than that prescribed under the IPHS (Indian Public Health Standards) guidelines with regard to specialists, staff nurses and laboratory technicians which hampered health services.

Stating that insufficient equipment in Intensive Care Units and operation theatres have affected the quality of vital health services, the CAG report said there were also shortcomings in support services under laundry and disposal of medical waste.

It also noted that special initiatives taken by government to create burns wards and trauma care centres were not functioning effectively due to inadequate release of funds as well as lack of man power.
The report highlighted that immediately after assuming
power, the NDA government began its exercise to "curtail" safeguards, dilute the provisions of existing laws and several dilutions were affected in the name of decentralisation of power.
"In the first two years of 'less government and more governance' the government has been living with rhetoric on saving the environment while acting diametrically opposite to the cause," it stated.

The government's budget allocation in 2015-16, the major thrust for development is on investment in infrastructure and housing projects in both rural and urban areas. Data analysis shows allocations to most social sector fell short or had marginal increase which does not address the critical concerns in health, education civic amenities.
At the launch of the report, Brinda Karat, Politburo member of CPI (M) alleged that National food security law was being subverted.
"And see the food security in a larger perspective. There has been drought in last more than two years. Thus the entire food security is in peril. There is class bias in the current establishment.

"There is huge concession to the corporates in forms of tax benefits, where as the budget allocation is cut to the social sectors which will benefit the poor and the wider citizenry. Basic service are being transferred to private players. And there is no job-creation under the current establishment," it said.
This government is also pitting Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha. How they have declared the Aadhar bill as money bill and presented to the Parliament? This government is full of rhetoric: Skill India, Make in India, Start up India!! They should now get to work," said D Raja, CPI leader.

AAP leader Raghav Chadha claimed the Modi has failed to initiate measures to curb corruption and bring in transparency while accusing it of indulging in small communal incidents.
"There has been massive tinkering with the social secular fabric of India and there is a very clever strategy that the BJP is implementing to keep the simmering tension forever to serve their own political purpose.
"They are not indulging in large scale riots but then there are small small communal flagrations to serve their own political purpose," Chadha said.
"The lust for power that this government has is evident from the kind of things that they have done in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and the what they are doing with my government, each of our policy decisions and legislations are being stalled," he said.