Chandigarh, March 25 The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said on Tuesday that out of the allotted budget by the Punjab government, health funds ranging from 6.5 to 20.74 per cent were not utilised.
In the performance audit of public health infrastructure and management of health services report of 2024 placed in the Assembly, it said the government could spend only 3.11 per cent of its total expenditure and 0.68 per cent of GSDP on health services during 2021-22, which was way below eight per cent of the budget and 2.50 per cent of the GSDP.
The State Programme Implementation Plans for each year were submitted to the Union government with delays ranging from 10 to 108 days, which ultimately delayed the approval and resulted in late receipt of funds from it.
"Huge amount of government money was lying unutilised outside government account with Punjab Nirogi Society (Rs 4.92 crore) under Punjab Nirogi Yojana and under Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh Scheme (Rs 76.81 crore) as of March 2022. Besides, user charges amounting to Rs 1.94 crore collected by Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, up to 2021-22 and part of concession fee amounting to Rs 85.70 crore transferred to Punjab Health Systems Corporation were also lying with them outside government account, in contravention of codal provisions," the CAG said.
The implementation of test-checked centrally sponsored schemes like the National Urban Health Mission, Family Welfare, Kayakalp and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), etc., in Punjab was not commensurate with the targets set for the respective schemes.
There were shortfalls in utilisation Performance Audit Report on Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services of the allotted funds under various schemes, it said.
There were cases of non-payment of financial assistance and incentives under the Family Welfare scheme and Janani Suraksha Yojana, it added.
Health institutions aspiring to achieve Kayakalp status were significantly on a lower side and National Quality Assurance Standards- certified health institutions also did not show steady growth, it said.
Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram programme, mobile health teams were functioning with inadequate staff strength which adversely affected the screening of children, the national auditor added.
No essential medicines, drops and ointments, except iron and folic acid and Albendazole, were available with mobile health teams despite having been prescribed by the Union government.
The CAG said the envisaged regulatory mechanism was not functioning effectively to ensure responsible provision of health services to the people.
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