Bombay HC raises concerns over ‘ailing’ govt hospitals, seeks steps to fill up vacancies, utilise healthcare budget

A seat of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati H Dangre was proceeding suo motu PIL that the HC had initiated connected the deaths of patients astatine authorities hospitals successful Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar successful 2023.

The authorities government’s nationalist wellness section successful its effect affidavit had stated that of 58 sanctioned General Public Services posts (non medical-group A), 32 were vacant and of 1, 750 posts of territory surgeons, wellness officers and specialised cadre, 748 were vacant.

Moreover, of 8,610 posts of Group-A aesculapian officers, 804 remained vacant. Overall, of 54, 954 posts, 11, 375 were vacant arsenic connected December 31, 2024.

The authorities authorities besides informed the HC that for the fiscal twelvemonth 2024-2025, of Rs. 9,612.46 crore sanctioned to the department, Rs. 6,348.64 crore were disbursed of which, Rs. 5417.41 crore has been utilised. Advocate Mohit Khanna, appointed arsenic Amicus Curiae successful the substance submitted that lone implicit 60 % of the full sanctioned magnitude was disbursed and the aforesaid was insufficient.

On Wednesday, erstwhile the seat queried arsenic to wherefore the authorities had not utilised the remainder of the fund amount, Government Pleader Neha Bhide submitted that the aforesaid volition beryllium done earlier the extremity of contiguous fiscal year, that is by March 31.

“In Maharashtra, determination is simply a proviso of supplementary fund granted successful July, each year. Why bash you person to hold till March 31? Why should patients hold for machines/equipment? No machinery tin beryllium bought astatine the past moment. While proceeding PIL successful Nagpur, we recovered MRI-CT scan machines were not operational successful authorities aesculapian colleges/hospitals.  There are truthful galore authorities hospitals successful the state. We cognize that the magnitude volition travel successful the past 10 days earlier March 31 and since the tender process volition not beryllium implicit wrong the 10 days, wealth goes backmost and the fund gets lapsed. If the diligent is waiting from the period of November successful request of immoderate treatment, helium oregon she volition not past till March erstwhile the magnitude is made available,” Justice Dangre orally remarked.

Advocate Lara Jesani for intervenor Jan Arogya Abhiyan submitted that vacancies astatine civilian hospitals successful Nanded and Sambhajinagar were required to beryllium filled astatine the earliest and besides raised concerns implicit however lone 7.25 % of fund assigned for aesculapian supplies was utilised truthful far.

The court asked the authorities to record an affidavit indicating the magnitude successful the sanctioned fund and besides whether it was imaginable by March 31 to walk the same. It asked Khanna to supply his suggestions for effectual redressal of issues related to vacancies, utilisation of budget, aesculapian supplies to authorities hospitals.

The seat said that the authorities was required to travel up with a ‘concrete plan’ for spending budgetary allocations wrong instalments.

Moreover, the HC raised concerns implicit vacancies of aesculapian unit successful authorities hospitals crossed the authorities and observed that much than 40 percent posts were vacant successful 7 districts and implicit 80 percent vacancy successful Government Medical College successful Chandrapur. “We spot the strategy is ailing. Provide america with steps that volition help” it remarked.

The seat further said the government should give timeline wrong which it tin implicit territory omniscient recruitment and contented orders of assignment of the doctors and nursing unit thereafter. It volition perceive the substance adjacent connected February 20.