As many as 172 equipment worth Rs 7.28 crore were found idling in 21 hospitals in Kerala for periods ranging between 1-107 months, CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) audit has found. The report of the CAG on public health infrastructure and management of health services tabled in the assembly on Tuesday notes that the equipment was left idling due to lack of manpower for its operation, pending repairs, supplied without indenting by hospital, etc.

In GMCs (Government Medical College) Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha and Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram, 59 equipment worth Rs 4.94 crore were lying idle for years, of which 20 items valued at Rs 89 lakhs were beyond repair. The report notes that the Director of Health Services (DHS) and the Director of Medical Education (DME) could have explored the possibility of distributing the equipment to other needy hospitals for effective utilisation of the items procured.

In a reply to the audit query, the DHS stated that eight equipment valued at Rs 14.09 lakhs, which were idling in three hospitals, were transferred to other hospitals. The state government stated that in the case of GMC Thiruvananthapuram, steps were taken to get the equipment ready for use in possible cases and for condemnation in other cases.

The CAG, however, remarked that the reply of GoK was not tenable, as it does not set out an action plan or time frame for making the equipment functional or for condemnation. Further, the GoK reply was silent about the non-functional equipment of other hospitals, the report noted.

The reasons for idling as per the report ranged from non-installation to absence of staff. At community health centre, Thrikkanapuram an ECG machine, ear care kit, oxygen concentrator and another equipment were purchased and were left to idle - the reason for idling was that the equipment were not needed in the hospital. An X-ray machine was left idling for almost 30 years because there was no radiation safety in the X-ray room. Although the equipment were brought, lack of space was cited as reason for idling of machines in many hospitals.