Health Department seeks ₹1,925 crore to tide over crisis

Paucity of funds seems to be haunting the Medical and Health Department that has been grappling with the COVID-19 management.

The department had been left with a mere ₹29.03 crore two month ago, which was insufficient to buy even oxygen.

Facing a similar situation, the department has made an appeal to the Finance Department to release about ₹1,925 crore immediately to tide over the crisis.

According to information, the officials concerned have taken the issue to the notice of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and sought his intervention.

The officials say that they need ₹17 crore towards disbursement of aid to the children orphaned by the pandemic and at least ₹428 crore at the earliest to take up COVID-19 management activities. The officials also want the Finance Department to release ₹1,497.66 crore considering it as “an emergency.”

“Due to paucity of funds, issues of urgent nature could not be taken up. So, we have made an appeal to the Finance Department,” says a senior official on condition of anonymity.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that the government would make a fixed deposit for ₹10 lakh in the name of the children who lost their parents due to the pandemic.

The idea was to help the guardians meet the expenses of the children with the interest that would accrue.

After spending ₹2,517.18 crore, the Medical and Health Department was left with about ₹29 crore in June. It was clueless as to how to foot the 579 bills pending clearance, for which it required ₹500 crore. It was the first time it sought the Chief Minister’s intervention, following which funds were released.