JIRIBAM, August 6: Even as the government venture of running three government hospitals in three districts under the Public Private Partnership model has been successful, Bangalore based NGO Karuna Trust entrusted with the partnership responsibility has been facing difficulties in complying with the guidelines of MoU signed with the State Government.
An official of the trust has said that owing to the failure of the state government to release the funds in time, the trust is considering whether to work with the government in any future venture.
The official from Sagolband area of Imphal said that the fund for the year 2011-12 has already been released but the trust isstill awaiting part of the fund for 2012-13, as the government is yet to release the full find.
This has resulted in the staffs and management of the hospitals undergo much hardship, he complained.
According to Dr T Vijaychandra, MO in-charge of the hospital at Borobekara Primary Health Centre, one of the three hospitals turned to PPP model, the staffs of the hospital are pleased in knowing that people in Barak Circle were satisfied with the services being rendered by the hospital and that people in the area have been extending much co-operations to the hospital but at the same time the hospital management is also facing numerous problem in running the hospital smoothly.
The staffs of the hospital are still to get their due salaries since the month of April and as most staffs of the hospital have came down from far off places; they are not familiar with the local populace.
And as such whenever the staffs face the crunch of financial shortage, there is hardly anyone in the area who could lend them money. We would like the concerned authorities to look into the matter seriously, he rued.
Minister of Health Phunjathang Tonsing during his inspection visit to the hospital on June 7, 2012 had expressed satisfaction on the works of management and staffs of the health centre and had announced that an ambulance would be handed over to the hospital in due time, the in-charge recalled.
A MoU for a three year deal was signed in 2011 between the state government and the trust and related works were subsequently taken up in the Primary Health Centres located at Tousem Sub-Division in Tamenglong district, Patpuihmun in Churachandpur district and Borobekara, Jiribam Block in Imphal East.
According to the MoU signed, the State Government would incur an amount of Rs 32 lakhs per year in two terms ie Rs 16 lakhs to be given at one time along with providing necessary office building and residential quarter.
On the other hand, the Karuna Trust would arrange staffs, doctors, staff nurse and salaries of officials in running the hospital.
Apart from it, the trust is also responsible for organising health related programmes of the government from time to time and to ensure that people in the area are receiving the benefits that could be taken from a hospital.
Of the four sub-centres established under the Tousem Primary Health Centre, in Tamenglong district, the one at Aben village is operating from its own building, while the three other are operating from rented buildings.
For Tipaimuk Block in Churachandpur district, there are seven sub-centres opened at Patpuihmun, Sivapurikhal, Bongmung, Phailenthang, Ngam Parbung, Chingmun and Kangreng.
Of the said sub-centres, the one in Sivapurikhal has its own building while the remaining others don’t have their own and are mostly operating from wooden structures or homes of villagers.
Whereas for Primary Health Centre under Borobekara, Jiribam Block in Imphal East district, there are three sub-centres opened, of which only one has its own building while the other two have been operating from rented places.
As stated by officials of Karuna Trust sitting at Sagolband area, in compliance with the MoU signed between the trust and State Government, the primary health centres in the three districts have been working satisfactory but the trust do faced lots of difficulty in delivering its services due to lack of infrastructure, facility and non-releasing of fund in time.
If the funds are released in time, the trust could run the hospitals smoothly and efficiently but considering the long time taken in releasing the funds; the trust has not taken its decision whether it would further work with the government in the latter’s plan to implement PPP model in other districts of the State.
If the government acts in tandem with the MoU signed before, there is possibility that the trust would continue working with the government in time to come, he noted.
There are three sub-centres operating under Borobekara Primary Health Centre at present. They are Durgapur PHC, Jakuradhor PHC and Bhutangkhal PHC. In Durgapur PHC, there consisted one Auxillary Nurse and Mid Wife (ANM), two ANM in Jakuradhor PHC and one ANM in Bhutangkhal PHC looking after it.
Apart from this, two doctors, two GNM staff nurses, two ANM staff nurses, one pharmacist, one lab-technician, two Grade IV male, one Grade IV women and one driver are also working in the Borobekara Primary Health Centre.
The hospital looks good in appearance equipped with good facilities than the other Community Health Centres situated in and around Jiribam and was found patients given away free medicines coming in for treatment.