The Bombay High Court on Saturday directed the Maharashtra government to submit details of the expenditure incurred by it on medical infrastructure in the state, after it was informed that only six percent of the total budget for the same was utilised. The court has also sought details of the staff vacancies in state-run hospitals and medical colleges.
A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar also asked the State to explain why the entire budgetary allocation was not utilised. “In case the entire budgetary allocation has not been utilised then reason therefore shall also be given,” the bench said.
The court was hearing a batch of petitions, including a suo motu (on its own) petition, raising concerns over the high number of deaths at the government hospitals in Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts last year.
Advocate for NGO Jan Arogya Abhiyan informed the bench that the Department of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has utilised only six percent of the total budget allocated by the State for medicines for the government-run hospitals. The NGO also highlighted that despite previous HC directions, the government’s efforts to address staff shortages and infrastructure gaps have been insufficient. It sought that a committee be set up, monitored by the high court, to ensure the gaps were filled.
The advocate for the NGO pointed out that, last October the government hospital in Nanded had only one pediatrician and till date no expert doctors have been appointed. “There has been a failure of part of the government which has resulted in escalation of the problems. The state (of the hospitals) is dismal,” the NGO’s advocate said.
Although the NGO sought setting up of a court-monitored committee, the HC said it cannot run a parallel administration. “It’s like running a parallel administration. We can issue directions and take them (government) to task. But continuous monitoring is not possible,” the bench said.
However, considering the gravity of the situation, the HC said it will not dispose of the petitions and kept the matter for hearing on January 29.
The HC then asked the State to file two affidavits, one indicating the total budgetary allocation made to respective departments and their respective expenditure; and second affidavit providing details of the posts filled of medical, para-medical and non-medical vacancies.
