Mumbai: The Public Health Department's plan to start mobile clinics to strengthen the health system in rural and tribal areas of the state is a waste. For these mobile clinics, the health department has planned to buy about 80 to 100 luxury vehicles worth Rs 2.5 to 3 crore.
The Finance Department had objected to the proposal saying that there is a need for expensive luxury vehicles when there is adequate health system in rural areas of the state. The matter has now gone to the Prime Minister's Court. Notably, a war of words broke out between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during a recent cabinet meeting over the same proposal for the purchase of vehicles.
This initiative is being implemented by the Public Health Department for the last two years on the occasion of Ashadhi Wari. Under this, health services are provided to the Warkaris by setting up their clinic every five kilometers on the Wari route. The health department has decided to expand the scope of this scheme and implement a mobile clinic scheme for the treatment of people in rural and tribal areas. However, the proposal to purchase the vehicle for the scheme has been mired in controversy.
These vehicles, which will provide treatment facilities to the citizens in their villages and villages, will have the necessary equipment and medicines for check-up and treatment, as well as doctors, nurses, helpers, etc. Nevertheless, one of these
The cost of the vehicle is two and a half to three crores and about three hundred crores will have to be spent on the purchase of 100 such vehicles. It is expected to cost around Rs 1.5 crore per annum to run these mobile clinics.
The Planning and Finance Department has objected to such a huge expenditure. There are about 10,000 sub-centres, 2,000 primary health centres, 23 district hospitals, 25 sub-district hospitals with 100 beds, 320 rural hospitals with 50 beds, besides mobile medical teams and ashramshala health check-up teams. The department has also asked why such expensive vehicles. With this, the proposal is stuck in both the departments.
Proposal to use tax time funds
Despite the objections of the Finance Department, the Public Health Department has once again sent the proposal to the Finance Department for approval. The Chief Minister's Emergency Fund has a balance of Rs 600 crore during the Corona period, which is being used to purchase vehicles, and the role of meeting the expenditure on the scheme through financial provision every year.
That's the controversy?
The proposal has been under discussion in the Finance and Health departments for the last few days and it was reflected in the recent cabinet meeting.
A tussle has been going on in Maharashtra between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.