CAG: KGMU ventilator purchase caused loss

Same equipment was supplied to PGI at lower rates

LUCKNOW: Purchase of just 15 ventilators by King George’s Medical University has resulted in a loss of over ₹ 90 lakh to the state exchequer, going by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report.

The same equipment was supplied to SGPGIMS at lower rates while KGMU purchased it at a higher price.

Ventilators are used by the KGMU in various departments to save patients in critical condition or when their vital organs do not function normally. Such patients are put on ventilator or life support system. There is one ventilator unit at the Trauma Centre and others in different departments.

A scrutiny of the records related to procurement of ventilators by KGMU revealed that 15 ventilators for Trauma Centre New ICU were purchased for ₹3.66 crore at the rate of ₹24.42 lakh each.

As per the CAG report, ‘KGMU purchased the ventilators in August 2015 without ensuring the genuineness of the rates which was evident from the fact that the same equipment was supplied to PGI in March 2015 by the same firm at the rate of ₹18.36 lakh per ventilator.’

The laxity has surfaced even though the medical university has two senior administrative officials looking after payments and purchases on the campus. Also for all purchases in lakhs, there is a committee and a tender is floated where the bidder with the lowest price and meeting technical specifications is selected.

Also, the rates of equipment supplied to PGI are being used by other medical institutions such as Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and KGMU to purchase same equipment for their patients.

Thus lack of proper diligence and absence of rate analysis resulted in an excess payment of ₹90.90 lakhs by KGMU for purchasing just 15 ventilators.