Director refutes MLA's claim
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 23 2015 :
State Health Mission Society Director Dr Okram Ibomcha has refuted the allegations levelled against him by Andro AC MLA Th Shyamkumar.
Speaking at a press conference held at his office chamber, Dr Ibomcha said that mother's kits, which the MLA had mentioned, were purchased during the time of former Director Devesh Deval.
With earmarking of Rs 84,15,208 for the said purpose, supply order was issued to M/s Medisphere Marketing Ltd, Link Road, Firoz Gandhi Marg, Lajpat Nagar.
Saying that sanction order for the purchase of these kits was issued on February 27, 2012 before he became the Director of State Health Mission Society (SHMS), Dr Ibomcha said that Rs 42,00,000 was sanctioned to M/s Medisphere as advance payment after the executive committee of SHMS gave its approval.
Some samples of mother's kits sent by M/s Medisphere to SHMS were not distributed due to substandard quality, Dr Ibomcha said.
On January 13, 2013, Ranjan Bajaj and Ritik Bajaj of M/s Medisphere were arrested by police as the draft bearing number 011234597, deposited at Greater Kailash branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, turned out to be a forged one, the Director added.
Even after the incident, M/s Medisphere expressed willingness to supply mother's kits to SHMS, Dr Ibomcha said.
He added that the agency has sent mother's kits to SHMS now and quality of these kits would be checked by a committee headed by the Principal Secretary.
He said that no doctor, who is currently working in another agency, has been engaged in SHMS.
However, there were some instances of engaging doctors who got MBBS degree from the medical institutes of other countries, he said.
However, they had left SHMS after some days as there were some differences, Dr Ibomcha added.
He said that there is still lack of manpower in SHMS as the State still needs more doctors for the health centres of interior areas.
Saying that expecting mothers are facing lots of difficulties in interior areas, Dr Ibomcha said that flagship programmes would not accomplish the intended results if they are not implemented on time.
He also urged the MLA not to level wrong allegations.