Mothers, babies suffer as `9K-cr RCH funds lie idle

Non-availability of critical medicines, use of expired drugs, non-functional labour rooms — these are some of the deplorable circumstances under which Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme has been functioning in the country even as `9,500 crore lay idle with the state health societies as unspent amount, said a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report which will be laid down in Parliament on Friday.

Pointing out at the messy financial management of the RCH programme, the national auditor’s report says that the mismanagement continued even as vulnerable mothers and infants of the targeted rural population continued to suffer.

The RCH programme is a key sub-component of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) that aims at improving the health outcome indicators like infant mortality rate and maternal mortality ratio.

Launched in April 2005, the NRHM is a flagship social sector scheme with the objective of providing accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the rural population, especially the vulnerable sections.

The unspent amount in 27 states climbed from about `7,400 crore in 201112 to more than `9,500 crore in 2015-16, even as more than `36 crore in six states was diverted to other schemes.

The report also included the findings of a countrywide survey of about 2,400 sub-centres, primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals which showed them to be functioning in unhygienic environment, poor accessibility, poorly constructed buildings, non-functional labour rooms, nonavailability of electricity and water supply, nonavailability of separate wards for male and female beneficiaries, etc.

Across seven states, about 430 pieces of expensive equipment like ultrasound machines, X-ray equipment, etc., costing more than `30 crore were lying idle and unutilised due to lack of doctors.