Health wing yet to utilise `3,236 cr

Funds to the tune of `3,236.81 lakhs were not utilised by the Medical and Health Department of Telangana, according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Unfruitful expenditure to the tune of `2,359 lakh was also carried out by the department.

The CAG observed that the department had utilised only 46 per cent of the funds from 2014 to 2017. There are unauthorised payments to the extent of `456 lakh and diversion of funds was also noted to the extent of `360 crore.

The CAG observed that under the ‘free essential drugs initiative’, `83.99 crore were allotted from 2014 to 2017 but the state spent only `10.11 crore which is 12 per cent of the amount. Due to this reason, the essential medicines were not available to the patients in the government hospitals and public health centres.

The government has been severely criticised for the high maternal mortality rate in districts such as Adilabad, Khamma and Mahabubnagar which was very high at 152, 99 and 98 respectively. Maternal mortality is 92 per one lakh live births in the state. There was a shortfall in the spending formaternal health from 31 to 50 per cent during the period from 2014-17.

Infant mortality rate stood at 28 per 1,000 and is above the National Rural Health Mission target of 25 per 1,000 births. The expenditure on child health had not exceeded 26 per cent from 2014 to 2017.