The Jammu and Kashmir government is spending a whopping Rs 8.5 Crores to procure as many as 50 hi-tech ventilators for its hospitals in the union territory but that the consignment is likely to take a month more to reach the destination.
Official documents as accessed by the Et reveal that the government has made an order of 50 ventilators for Jammu and Kashmir way back in March.
Officials said each such “high end” ventilators costing 17 lakh each has been ordered from a Maharashtra based firm.
“In order to strengthen preparedness of the Union Territory of J&K to combat the situation arisen due to Corona Virus (COVID-19), you are requested to supply the below mentioned quantity of High End ICU Ventilator with the same specifications/rates/terms & conditions of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, as per the prescribed delivery schedule,” reads a copy of the order as accessed by the.
Officials said the delivery as discussed with the firm is May 5, 2020.
Experts said given the situation arising out the pandemic, the government should have sought the delivery of the medical equipment on short-notice. “The order should have been made in such a way that the delivery was sought within a fortnight or so,” said a doctor working in Jammu.
Sources said the Jammu province has no more than 100 ventilators at present at various hospitals and that he need for such equipment could be more given the rise in number of coronavirus cases.
But senior officials in the Civil Secretariat said there was no wrong in the supply order as the national standards have been maintained.
“Right from rates of the equipment to the standards of delivery date everything has been done in accordance with norms. Moreover delivery of such items takes some time. Still we have asked the firm to speed up the delivery and that any early delivery would be appreciated,” said the official on the condition of anonymity. (GNS)
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