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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 3:50:26 am

Procurement first, infrastructure later

Procurement at multiples of market price; equipment before infrastructure; no accountability Kolhapur: Maharashtra’s Medical Education and Public Health Departments have been on an aggressive drive to expand public healthcare infrastructure. Daily announcements of new centres, advanced equipment and expanded services have reassured citizens long denied dependable public healthcare. Procurement of medical equipment, medicines and surgical supplies is reportedly being undertaken at rates two to...

Procurement first, infrastructure later

Procurement at multiples of market price; equipment before infrastructure; no accountability Kolhapur: Maharashtra’s Medical Education and Public Health Departments have been on an aggressive drive to expand public healthcare infrastructure. Daily announcements of new centres, advanced equipment and expanded services have reassured citizens long denied dependable public healthcare. Procurement of medical equipment, medicines and surgical supplies is reportedly being undertaken at rates two to ten times higher than prevailing market prices. Basic economics dictates that bulk government procurement ought to secure better rates than private buyers, not worse. During the Covid-19 pandemic, equipment and consumables were procured at five to ten times the market rate, with government audit reports formally flagging these irregularities. Yet accountability has remained elusive. The pattern is illustrated vividly in Kolhapur. The Dean of Rajarshi Shahu Government Medical College announced that a PET scan machine worth Rs 35 crore would soon be installed at Chhatrapati Pramilaraje (CPR) Government Hospital for cancer diagnosis. But a comparable machine is available in the market for around Rs 6.5 crore. A senior cancer surgeon at a major cancer hospital in western Maharashtra, where a similar machine was recently installed, remarked that the gap between what his hospital paid and what the government is reportedly paying was enough to make one ‘feel dizzy’. The label of a ‘turnkey project’ does not adequately explain a price differential of this magnitude. High Costs CPR Hospital recently had a state-of-the-art IVF centre approved at a sanctioned cost of Rs 7.20 crore. Senior fertility specialists across Maharashtra note that even a modern IVF centre with advanced reproductive technology equipment typically costs between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 3 crore. The state’s outlay is reportedly approaching Rs 15 crore. Equipment arrived in June 2025 and lay idle for months owing to indecision about the site. Similarly, digital X-ray machines approved for CPR Hospital and a government hospital in Nanded; available in the market for roughly Rs 1.5 crore; were reportedly procured at Rs 9.98 crore per unit. Doctors in CPR’s radiology department, apprehensive about being drawn into potential inquiries, reportedly resisted accepting the equipment. One departmental head was transferred amid disagreements over signing off on the proposal. What’s Wrong These cases point to a deeper structural failure: Maharashtra has perfected what might be called the ‘equipment first, infrastructure later’ model. In any public hospital, the administrative sequence ought to be: identify space, create infrastructure, sanction specialist posts, and only then procure equipment. Compounding the procurement paradox is a parallel policy decision. On 20 December 2025, the state government decided to introduce radiology diagnostic services through a Public-Private Partnership model (PPP). Following this, an order issued on 6 February 2026 authorised private operators to provide PET scan, MRI and CT scan services at six government medical college hospitals: in Pune, Kolhapur, Miraj, Sangli, Mumbai and Baramati. CPR already has a 126-slice CT scan machine and a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, with another CT scan proposed. If the PPP arrangement proceeds, the hospital could simultaneously run one PET scan machine, two MRI scanners and three CT scan machines. Medical experts warn this could lead to unnecessary diagnostic testing simply to keep machines occupied, thus exposing patients to excess radiation while government-owned equipment gathers dust. A similar pattern was seen during the pandemic, when the Medical Education Department spent hundreds of crores on RT-PCR machines, only to award swab-testing contracts to a private company. Many of those machines remain unused today.

End of an Era

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Manmohan Singh

“Renowned economist Dr. Singh’s contributions to Bharat will always be remembered and cherished. We pray the almighty to grant 'sadgati' to the departed soul.”

Mohan Bhagwat, Chief, RSS


“His life will always serve as a lesson for the future generations on how someone can rise above deprivation and struggles to attain the heights of success. As PM, his contribution to the country's development and progress will always be remembered.”

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister


“He (Singh) knew me almost from the day I opened my eyes in this world. I had the privilege of serving as the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting in his government. A gentle soul, a great intellectual, a person with very firm convictions.”

Manish Tewari, Leader, Congress


“After he (Singh) became the Prime Minister, we shared a very close relationship. He was the one who brought me to politics along with Sonia Gandhi. It's very sad that he has left us.”

Shashi Tharoor, MP, Congress


“His contributions as the architect of India's economic reforms have left an indelible mark. RBI joins the nation in mourning this huge loss.”

Sanjay Malhotra, Governor, RBI


“Even when political opponents labelled him a ‘dummy’ or ‘shadow PM’, he remained focused on serving the country’s best interests. He neither acted against nor voiced opposition to his party’s leadership.”

T K A Nair, Former Principal Secretary to PM


“Dr. Singh was one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership, and his work laid the foundation for much of what our countries have accomplished together in the past two decades.”

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, US


“I always found him a delight to work with and like a benevolent father figure. He was a good friend of the Maldives.”

Mohamed Nasheed, Former President, Maldives


“A visionary economist and the architect of India's economic liberalisation, his contributions shaped a new era for India.”

Mahinda Rajapaksa, Former President, Sri Lanka


“India has lost one of its most illustrious sons. Dr. Manmohan Singh was an unwavering ally and friend to the people of Afghanistan.”

Hamid Karzai, Former President, Afghanistan


“India has lost one of its tallest leaders and finest economists. His most defining contribution - the epochal 91 reforms spurred a multi-decadal economic boom and more importantly reshaped the calculus of possibilities for India and Indians.”

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group


“Dr. Singh will always be remembered for his visionary thinking and deep insights while always being humble and upholding his personal values. His inspiring leadership earned him respect across the world.”

N. Chandrasekaran, Chief, Tata Sons


“The passing of Dr. Manmohan Singh marks the end of an era in Indian polity. A man of quiet dignity, he reshaped the nation through his visionary economic and social policies.”

Kamal Haasan, Actor-Politician


“I fondly cherish my interactions with him and the inspiration and wisdom I got from him forever. It is a tremendous loss to our country. His wisdom, integrity and contributions to the nation’s growth will always be remembered.”

Chiranjeevi, Actor


“He was a man of unparalleled humility and wisdom. His extraordinary contributions will forever be remembered.

Anil Kapoor, Actor


“Having studied him for more than a year for the movie The Accidental Prime Minister, it felt that I actually spent that much time with him. He was inherently a good man. Personally, completely honest, great economist and a very humble person. Some can say may be not an astute politician!”

Anupam Kher, Actor


“Although there were doubts about how someone who was not a seasoned politician would lead the country, Singh, during his 10 years in power, proved himself to be one of the most experienced and respected leaders the world has ever seen.”

A K Antony, Leader, Congress


“I will always remember him as the only Prime Minister who made sincere efforts to uplift India's marginalised, including minorities and backward classes.”

Asaduddin Owaisi, President, AIMIM


“Never heard an offensive, unparliamentary word from him. Manmohan Singh will be remembered as 'Adhunik nirmata sudharak' (modern reformer who built up the economy).”

Ram Nath Kovind, Former President


“I have worked with many ministers, and while many of them, including Manmohan Singh, are true gentlemen, for Singh, his gentlemanly nature was not a weakness but a remarkable strength. Singh was never one to make grand promises.”

K M Chandrasekhar, Former Union Cabinet Secretary


“He was a great human being. Great financial reformer and statesman.”

Rajinikanth, Actor


“A politician who can take a joke is truly powerful, and a politician who can make a joke about themselves is admirable, and invincible. In that respect, he stood tall above any Indian leader in my lifespan.”

Vir Das, Comedian-actor


"Dr Manmohan Singh ji's demise is a profound loss for India. His contributions to our nation shall always be remembered.”

Sachin Tendulkar, Cricket Legend


“A rare leader who spoke softly but achieved monumental strides through his actions, Dr Singh's life remains a masterclass in leadership, humility and service to the nation and will inspire generations to come.”

Gautam Adani, Chairman Adani Group


“He was against corruption and took immediate decisions concerning the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act. He always thought about the country and how best he could work for its people.”

Anna Hazare, Anti-corruption Activist


“Farewell Dr. Manmohan Singh. You loved this nation. And your service to it will long be remembered.”

Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group


“He was an erudite economist and a man of high integrity. A PM to whom we owe our economic turnaround.”

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon

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