Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
Around 18 years back J&K Government created a separate account under the name and title Hospital Development Fund (HDF) in Health & Medical Education Department. The aim of creating this local fund in district and sub district hospitals and at several referral hospitals was to ensure better healthcare facilities in the Govt health institutions. The revenue for HDF is generated from the hospital tickets, laboratory tests , x rays and other investigations. Initially 50% of the revenue generated on account of HDF was deposited in the Government account through local treasuries and the remaining 50 percent was deposited by Govt hospitals in the local branch of J&K Bank in a separate account maintained for HDF. The basic aim of creating the Hospital Development Fund (HDF) was to undertake minor repairs of the hospitals, purchase of lab reagents , equipments, furniture or some important drugs.
There were clear guidelines issued by the Govt that except for the purchase of life saving drugs or in case of urgency the funds were not to be spent without the prior and proper permission of the local legislator (MLA). Infact Government Order No. 954 HME of 2000 Dated: 21-12-2000 and Government Order No. 150-HME of 2005 Dated: 15-3-2005, makes it clear that the HDF has no scope for employing or engaging people. But how this Govt order got violated is still a mystery.
For a year or so the HDF guidelines were followed by the hospital management but with the passage of time local MLAs in connivance with Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and Block Medical Officers (BMOs) started using HDF to employ political workers in the district and sub district hospitals. A hospital ticket which was sold @ Rs 2 was abruptly charged Rs 5 and Rs 10 in Govt hospitals and with the passage of time 100 percent revenue generated from sale of hospital tickets and other lab tests / x-rays etc was deposited in HDF account. This was to ensure more and more revenue goes into HDF account so that more and more people could be accommodated in the Govt hospitals through backdoor means.
HDF an exploitation
The fact of the matter is that persons employed under HDF are actually an exploited lot of people . The political workers who recommend boys and girls to be employed under HDF got huge bribes from these people. They were told by the touts of MLAs , CMOs and BMOs that after few years their job would be regularized and as on date there are more than 5000 such people who are employed under HDF from last 15 years in Govt hospitals and these people get mere Rs 4000 every month as salary. One can see HDF employees not only in peripheral hospitals but even in Govt Medical College and associated hospitals of Srinagar and Jammu. There are hundreds of such low paid employees who are struggling for regularization of their job.
BMO Gurez
With an aim of hiding the factual details about employees appointed under HDF in Gurez health block , the Block Medical Officer (BMO) has been trying to play hide and seek with her Directorate in Srinagar from last several months. Information about HDF was sought under Right to Information Act (RTI) from BMO but she has been denying the same for last many months. Information seeker filed an appeal before the Director Health Services Kashmir and during two hearing BMO didn’t attend the hearing. The Director has now issued a notice against the BMO directing her to explain her position. It is alleged that health block Gurez is marred by corruption and mismanagement of Hospital Development Funds (HDF). In her recent order Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Kunzes Dolma reprimanded BMO Gurez. The order reads :
” It has been observed that despite reminders the PIO , BMO Gurez has failed to report to this Directorate and neither this office has received any correspondence regarding the said appeal from the office of BMO Gurez. It seems PIO BMO Gurez is ignoring RTI applications which is against J&K RTI Act 2009. Therefore PIO BMO Gurez is hereby asked to explain his position regarding non compliance of the orders of 1st Appellate Authority and is also hereby directed to remain vigilant in near future while dealing with RTI application, in order to avoid any adverse or penalty proceedings by State Information Commission ”
HDF in Budgam
In a similar incident the BMO Khansahib block of Budgam has appointed dozens of boys and girls from last few years under HDF . The Department of health is yet to initiate action against the officials involved in the scam. As reported by local print media the BMO who is the custodian of records and official documents in his block had also denied to share information under RTI Act regarding backdoor appointment of dozens of persons under hospital development fund (HDF) during last 5 to 7 years . The information was sought by some aggrieved persons of Khansahib who allege that no advertisements were made prior to these appointments. Similarly in health blocks of Chadoora , Charar e Sharief , Magam , Beerwah there are more than 300 persons who have been appointed under HDF during last several years . This is not only in Budgam , but in all the 22 districts of state one can find hundreds of such employees whose future is in complete dark.
Conclusion
By diverting Hospital Development Fund (HDF) to pay meager salaries to so called “employees” is effecting the daily requirements of the Govt hospitals. In most of the Government run hospitals the washrooms are in filthy condition, the chairs are broken , wheel chairs are damaged , stretchers are not even seen. Surgical gloves and mouth masks are hardly used by paramedical staff. The sterilization of dental equipments is not properly done. The hospitals give a shabby look and one feels suffocated inside the OPDs and wards. All these things were to be taken care of under HDF but our politicians and hospital managers have diverted these funds for employing people. This is not employment but injustice and exploitation of youth. The HDF employees are seen on roads of Srinagar and Jammu off and on protesting against Govt for being paid meager salaries. They have now become a big headache and liability for the Government. By improper use of HDF, Government has neither satisfied these unemployed people nor have they made condition of our health institutions better. By not providing better healthcare facility to its people Govt is itself violating basic human rights of its people.
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