Cong govt destroyed Punjab's health infrastructure: FM Cheema

Chandigarh, Mar 25 (PTI) Citing CAG reports, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday accused the previous Congress government of "severely destroying" the state's health infrastructure, Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) reports are on the management of public health infrastructure and health services from 2016-17 to 2021-22 and the annual technical inspection of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies from April 2019 to March 2022, an official statement said.

Cheema tabled these reports in the Punjab Assembly.

The minister said the Congress is a party of the rich and hence it has never paid any attention to providing necessary public health services to the common people of the state.

Similarly, he said, the Congress has always "weakened" the basic units of democracy, PRIs and urban local bodies.

By not making the necessary recruitments in these institutions from 2017 to 2022, the Congress not only affected the services of these institutions but also deprived thousands of youth of employment, Cheema said.

According to the CAG report on the performance of public health infrastructure and management of health services, there was a 50.69 per cent vacancy rate in sanctioned health posts, with the Directorate of Medical Education and Research facing a 59.19 per cent shortage.

The report also highlights inadequate availability of health institutions, insufficient beds and a lack of essential medicines and equipment.

Institutional births in public health facilities remained low while private healthcare facilities flourished, the statement said.

The report noted that many health services were unavailable due to staff and equipment shortages and that infrastructure could not be fully utilised.

The skewed distribution of manpower led to uneven patient loads per doctor and population-to-doctor ratios varied significantly across districts, it said.

It said spending on health services was found to be below the target.

"Out of the allotted budget by the state government, funds ranging from 6.5 per cent to 20.74 per cent were not utilised," it added.

The Congress government could spend only 3.11 per cent of its total expenditure and 0.68 per cent of gross state domestic product on health services during 2021-22, which was way below 8 per cent of the budget and 2.50 per cent of GSDP targeted under the National Health Policy (NHP) 2017, according to the report.

Additionally, the report highlights delays in submitting state programme implementation plans and significant amounts of unutilised government funds.

The annual technical inspection report on PRIs and urban local bodies found that only 13 out of 29 functions envisioned by the 73rd Amendment Act have been devolved to PRIs.

"Delays in transferring Central Finance Commission grants resulted in avoidable interest payments by the state government. Moreover, there was significant underutilisation of funds received under various schemes, ranging from 5 per cent to 94 per cent. Staff shortages in PRIs increased from 29 per cent in 2019-20 to 41 per cent in 2021-22," the report said.

It also highlighted issues in urban local bodies, including a staff shortage ranging from 34 per cent to 44 per cent.

"Delays in transferring grants resulted in avoidable interest payments and user charges worth Rs 510.56 crore remained pending for recovery. Additionally, 137 urban local bodies failed to contribute Rs 10.77 crore towards the Punjab State Cancer and Drug Addiction Treatment Infrastructure Fund," it said. PTI CHS DIV DIV

Source: PTI