CAG suggests AP to enhance healthcare expenditure to 8% of budget

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has rapped the Andhra Pradesh government with regard to the performance of the health sector in the State between 2017-18 and and 2021-22 fiscal years.

The CAG report on ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services in Andhra Pradesh’ covering the period from 2017-18 to 2021-22 was tabled in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on November 22 (Friday).

According to the report, the government had failed to achieve the targets set for the health sector. Compared to a target of the health sector expenditure of more than 8% of the total State budget to be achieved by 2020, the State could achieve only 3.11% (March 2022).

Further, the State failed to achieve the initial targeted expenditure of 1.15% of the GSDP on health between 2017 and 2022. “We recommend that the government may enhance expenditure on healthcare services to the expected level of 8% of the total State Budget and to 2.5% of the GSDP to ensure that adequate and quality healthcare infrastructure and services are provided to the public,” the CAG report said.

The CAG noticed shortfalls in all cadres at the sub-centre level and administrative cadres in Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Further, 743 Specialists and Medical Officers’ posts were vacant against the sanctioned 3,316 posts in secondary healthcare.

Vacant posts
The government should ensure the required human resources to deliver healthcare services effectively at primary and secondary levels. As many as 149 of 608 posts in the Professor cadre and 156 of 744 posts in the Associate Professor cadre in 11 Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) were vacant, the report pointed out.

Further, the State government did not provide sufficient budgetary support to improve infrastructure and enough drugs in Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) Hospitals, colleges and dispensaries.

‘Funds not released’
The State government did not release the approved funds under National Ayush Mission (NAM), preventing the implementation of targeted activities proposed under State Annual Actions Plan (SAAP). The government needs to release funds provisioned as per approved SAAP and ensure timely release of funds towards matching share under NAM for optimal utilisation of scheme funds.

The government did not release the State’s share of ₹350.93 crore between 2017 and 2022 towards various programmes under the National Health Mission (NHM). It did not avail of financial assistance fully extended by NABARD and the World Bank, and funds received were also not fully utilised. The State government may ensure optimum utilisation of funds available under NHM, the CAG report said. The Hindu