Kerala health sector sees low fund utilisation with just a week left in financial year

Thiruvananthapuram: With just a week left in the financial year, a substantial portion of funds allocated to the State’s health sector remains unspent. According to a latest report, only about 40 per cent of the ₹241.46 crore earmarked for various schemes under the Directorate of Health Services has been utilised so far.

The report also points to delays in the release of funds from the Treasury and in their deployment across institutions, ranging from Primary Health Centres to district and general hospitals. Presented at a meeting of senior medical officers, it also details the extent of unspent allocations across multiple schemes.

Even bills submitted for the purchase of vehicles have not yet been cleared by the Treasury. The School Health and Wellness Programme, which received administrative sanction only last July, has recorded a mere 5.16 per cent utilisation, largely due to inadequate fund allocation. Spending under the cancer care component stands at 47.55 per cent, while only 27.39 per cent of the funds earmarked for communicable disease control have been used.

No expenditure has been reported from the allocation meant for modernising drug stores. Of the funds set aside to strengthen dental units, 46.17 per cent has been utilised. Under the pain and palliative care scheme, districts were allocated ₹1.40 crore each, but only ₹44.69 lakh has been spent so far.

Although plan funds have been earmarked for blood banks and solid waste management, not a single rupee has been released. Similarly, ₹70 lakh set aside for patient-friendly hospital initiatives remains undistributed. Funds allocated towards nursing service expenses in Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasaragod districts have also not been released.

Though approval was granted for 16 projects that emerged during the Nava Kerala Sadas, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, project reports have been submitted for only seven so far. Of the 24 projects targeted for completion through KIIFB within one and a half years, only four have reached a stage where they are at least ready for inauguration.

Similarly, while 76 projects were launched with support from agencies including NABARD and the National Health Mission, only 36 have progressed to the stage of inauguration, owing to funding constraints and other issues.

Spending under key institutions also reflects uneven progress. At the Thiruvananthapuram Mental Health Centre, only 23.79 per cent of the allocated funds have been utilised. The Kozhikode Mental Health Centre was allotted ₹63 lakh, but just ₹2.39 lakh has been spent so far. Addressing the meeting, the Additional Director (Planning) criticised the failure to utilise even the funds earmarked for those facing mental health challenges.

Full spend in key segments
In contrast, some sectors have recorded near complete utilisation. At the Thrissur Mental Health Centre, 94.05 per cent of the plan's allocated fund has been spent. Women and children’s hospitals have utilised 99.79 per cent of their allocation, while funds earmarked for maternity units have been fully utilised. Spending on training programmes stands at 99 percent and the entire allocation for setting up laboratories in Primary Health Centres has also been utilised.