-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM DEC 7: In a major case of what may be called the mis-appropriation of public funds, the two mobile vans with
specialised facilities belonging to the Health department have been lying stationed at the PHC Sanquelim since last one year. As per the available information two mobile vans (GA-01-G- 2022) given for North District and another (GA-01-G-2023) sanctioned for South Goa are lying stationed near the PHC Sanquelim since last one year. Today when this correspondent went to the site there was only one van while another was found missing after some two days when a politician was contacted for a comment. The reports and the information displayed on the web site of the Health department the two vans were procured under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). They were entitled to hold camps to reach to rural people in the two districts of the state. Every year the Central government senctions about 20 lakh per district for the maintenance of these vans. NRHM, was launched for nation-wide implementation with effect from April, 2005 by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The only objective was to take health care to the door step of the public in the rural areas, especially in under-served areas, Mobile Medical Units were proposed to be provided, one per district under NRHM. Throughout India two type of MMU's were provided one with diagnostic facilities and other with specialised facilities as is the case with Goa. The states were asked to involve District Health Society or NGOs in deciding the appropriate modality for operationalization of the MMU. The provision of staff was considered only for the states who ran the vehicles with support of NGOs and in case of states outsourcing the vehicles. When Herald tried to investigate the total expenditure under the scheme through the report of NRHM several facts came to light. As per the estimate provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in its report of Implementation the unit cost for mobile van for staff is Rs.7.00 lakh, mobile unit with essential accessories costs Rs.18.25 lakh per district and a mobile unit with diagnostic facilities has a unit cost of Rs.23.75 lakh per district. The total capital expenditure for 595 districts in the country is estimated to be Rs.175 crores. The recurring expenditure for North-Eastern states, J&K and Himachal Pradesh with provision of a radiologist and an additional driver for diagnostic van is Rs.23.71 lakhs per district per annum. For other states, the unit recurring cost is Rs.19.87 lakhs per district per annum. Even with such a whooping expenditure the health department of Goa seem to be doing nothing with the van except that they are kept to rust in sun and rain. These mobile vans which are kept at Sanquelim are having facility of ECG, X-Ray, Ultrasound and Blood Investigations. Reports are given immediately at the Site. Besides, IEC activities are also undertaken by this mobile team. These mobile vans are also assigned the task of moving to rural areas under all eleven talukas to examine the patients, necessary advice and referral to secondary and tertiary and super specialty hospitals. The doctors are also entitled to follow-up the patients. But to the surprise of most of the Goans these two vans were lying abandoned by the health department. The health department seem to have failed in their task. To add to this eventhough they are given to two districts they are stationed at the same place for months together. "When the vans were brought some two years back they went to the villages but after some months they stopped and now for almost one year they are 'docked' near the PHC Sanquelim" a person from Sanquelim told on the condition of anonymity.