Experience shows that the Health Department authorities are eager, even impatient, to place orders for some highly sophisticated modern machineries put to us in specialty hospital for treatment of patients with serious diseases including cancer. Deployment of technically trained staff to handle these machines is a pre-requisite. The machines are expensive and their repair asks for highly proficient technicians. What happens is that no technically qualified staff is recruited and just as a matter of prestige, expensive machines are purchased. Alternatively, may be there are elements within the Health Department that have stakes and can maneuver things for their benefit.
Brachytherapy machine, which, was commissioned in Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu in 2007-08 to treat specific type of cancers is lying unused. Elements with stakes working behind these expensive purchases have little consideration for the fulfillment of all pre-requisites. The case in point is of Brachytherapy machine, commissioned in Oncology Department of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu in 2007-08 to treat specific type of cancers. For last two years, this machine purchased at a cost of 1.5 crore rupees, remains unused. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has refused to issue operating license to the Health Department. In this scenario, patients who would receive treatment with the help of the machine now lying useless and defunct are under compulsion to move outside the State and get medical treatment elsewhere.
The Health Department should immediately get into touch with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and settle the issue of use of the machine purely for medical purposes. It is not the lone case of irresponsibility on the part of purchase committee for the Hospitals. A number of gross irregularities in the administration and functionality of Government run hospitals in the state is notable. Arbitrary violation of rules and not sticking to the advisories ultimately lands the hospital administration into a state of embarrassment. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of purchasing authority to see whether their machines and equipment are usable in given local conditions or not. Their reaction to purchases has to be conditional to the need, implementing ability and ultimate utility of the machine.
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