A meeting of the autonomous societies of government medical colleges was held under the chairmanship of Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal
Major administrative and financial reforms in medical colleges and associated hospitals approved
Autonomous societies will be able to take major decisions at the local level, the executive committee has got the authority to approve up to Rs 2 crore
For the first time after the formation of the state, rules were amended, powers of the Dean and Hospital Superintendent were increased
Raipur, 03 December 2024
On the instructions of Chief Minister Shri Vishnudev Sai, a big step has been taken towards financial reforms in the Health Department. Under Vishnu’s good governance, the state government is constantly taking policy decisions in public interest. Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal made efforts in this direction and put forward his suggestions. In the meeting of autonomous societies of 10 government medical colleges of the state under the chairmanship of Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, many important and public interest decisions have been taken today for the expansion of financial decentralization of medical colleges and associated hospitals. These decisions will strengthen the autonomous societies at the college level, dependence on the government for essential works will be reduced, urgent works will be completed on time and immediate needs will be met at the medical college level itself.
Medical colleges and associated hospitals require essential medicines, purchase, repair and maintenance of medical equipment, consumables etc. for immediate treatment. But the deans of medical colleges and hospital superintendents had very limited powers to purchase or repair these. Because of this, they had to depend on the decision of the government level. This rule was in place before the formation of Chhattisgarh state. For the first time after the formation of the state, the rules of financial powers are being amended.
Earlier, the Deans and Hospital Superintendents of medical colleges had to send files to the ministry level for minor construction, repair, medicine purchase etc. above Rs 1 lakh. With the new decision, they will now have financial authority of up to Rs 10 lakh. No approval will be required from the government level for this. There was financial authority of up to Rs 1 lakh for the purchase or repair of tools and small equipment, which has now been agreed to be increased to Rs 10 lakh in the meeting of the autonomous committee. Similarly, there were powers of up to Rs 20 thousand for the purchase of stores and reagents, which have been recommended to be increased and full powers be given to the Dean and Hospital Superintendent. This financial decentralization will make the autonomous committee efficient and valuable time will be saved. This will provide quick benefits of medicines and health facilities to the patients.
Reorganisation of autonomous societies
The autonomous societies of the 10 government medical colleges and associated hospitals of the state have been formed at different times with the establishment of the college. No set guideline or rules have been determined for these societies and there is no uniformity in them. There is also no standardization process for the approval of income and expenditure of these societies. To bring uniformity in these, the draft of model autonomous societies has been approved and issued by the administrative department. Earlier, only the general assembly had the rights, but according to the new draft, the rights of the general assembly have been expanded and changes have been made in the rights of the executive committee and finance committee.
According to these changes, along with the general assembly having full authority, now the executive committee will also have the authority to approve up to Rs 2 crore per work, which it did not have this authority earlier. The finance committee has been given the authority to approve up to Rs 10 lakh per work, which it did not have earlier. The general assembly will have full authority to spend and approve the amount, allocation or grant received by the autonomous committee from various schemes of the central or state government, whereas the executive committee will have the authority to approve up to Rs 5 crore from this amount.
Till now, only 25 percent of the claim received from the state government under Ayushman Bharat Yojana was received by the autonomous society of the concerned medical college. In the presence of Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, it has been increased to 45 percent. Along with this, making a big change, it has been decided under the chairmanship of Health Minister Shri Jaiswal that 10 percent of the budget received from the state budget in the medicines item and stores and reagents item was allocated to the government medical colleges and affiliated hospitals. It has been increased to 25 percent. With these decisions, the autonomous societies of medical colleges have been reorganized by financial decentralization to make the medical colleges financially strong.
Addressing the autonomous societies through video conferencing from Mahanadi Bhawan in Nava Raipur, Health Minister Shri Shyam Bihari Jaiswal said that under the good governance of Vishnu, efforts are being made to improve the medical colleges through financial discipline and reforms. This decision is a big step taken for the improvement of tertiary health services. With these decisions, we are empowering the medical colleges so that they do not have to depend on us for small needs and they can take necessary decisions immediately in public interest and work for the betterment of patients.
Commissioner of Medical Education Department, Mrs. Kiran Kaushal was present in the meeting. Public representative members of all autonomous societies, divisional commissioner, collectors of concerned districts, deans of medical colleges and hospital superintendents also attended the meeting through video conferencing.
