JAMMU: Violating the norms, the Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu has diverted the funds meant for cancer patients to buy endoscopy machines to favour a blue eyed doctor. He is the same doctor, who had kept the endoscopy machine non-functional in order to compel patience to visit private labs for obvious reasons. However, the then Health Minister Lal Singh had exposed the nexus and got the machine functional in the hospital.
Although Department of Gastroenterology is functional in GMC Jammu yet the newly appointed Principal Zahid Gillani over-ruled the orders of Lal Singh and purchased another endoscopy machine for installation at SSH, reportedly to favour Dr Shoket Choudhary.
Sources told STATE TIMES that the funds meant for cancer patients were diverted by the Principal, after by- passing the rules and violating all the norms laid for purchase of such equipment.
These funds were sanctioned by the Government of India for cancer patients’ treatment and were to be used by the Departments of Radiotherapy, ENT and Chest Diseases departments, mainly for the treatment of cancer patients.
Sources said that all these departments were making efforts since 2014 to get funds. There was no mention of buying endoscopy machines while projecting the demand or in the allotment of funds.
It is pertinent to mention that Dr Shoket choudhary is the same doctor who had intentionally kept the endoscopy machine non-functional for more than six months and when the same machine was shifted to GMC Jammu by the then Health Minister Ch Lal Singh, it was found to be functional. The same machine is still functional at GMC Jammu.
The Finance Department staff posted at GMC confirmed that all the financial norms and codal formations were bypassed to purchase this machinery. Even no permission was taken from the purchase committee of the hospital. The procurement was done through the Medical Corporation without inviting any tenders, which is violation of laws.
“This matter needs to be properly investigated and an audit needs to be done as to how these funds were diverted to purchase a new machine, where as one was already existing at GMC Jammu and as to what was the urgency for buying that machine and that too at the cost of the poor cancer patients”, a senior doctor said on the condition of anonymity.
Sleep Study Lab out of order
The Sleep Study Lab installed at GMC’s Chest Diseases Hospital Jammu is out of order over a year, leaving patients to fend for themselves.
Sources at the Chest Diseases Hospital Jammu informed that the requisition to install new Lab has been sent a number of times yet the authorities are not paying any attention towards this.
The patients who are advised to undergo Sleep Study have to go out of the state.
The Sleep Study Lab also known as a polysomnogram, records brain waves, heartbeats and breathing as you sleep. It also charts eye movements, limb movements and oxygen in the blood. This data helps the doctors to make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan, informed a GMC doctor.