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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.

Kojagiri Purnima: The Moonlit Festival of Prosperity, Health, and Togetherness

As the full moon brightens the night sky, homes across India come alive with devotion and celebration. Kojagiri Purnima, also called Sharad Purnima, blends spiritual reverence, cultural tradition, and nature’s beauty. Falling on the full-moon night of Ashwin (September–October), it marks the end of the monsoon and the start of a season of clear skies, cool breezes, and harvest abundance. This year, Kojagiri Purnima is observed on 6 October across India.


The festival’s name carries deep meaning. Kojagiri comes from the Sanskrit phrase “Ko Jagrati?”, meaning “Who is awake?” Legend has it that Goddess Lakshmi, deity of wealth and prosperity, roams the earth on this sacred night, blessing those awake and worshipping her with fortune and happiness. Another belief holds that Lord Krishna played the divine Raas Leela with the Gopis under the Sharad Purnima moon. It is also said to be the night when the moon’s nectar-like rays possess healing powers for body and soul.


Rituals and Celebrations:

1. Lakshmi Pooja and All-Night Vigil

Families perform Lakshmi Puja in the evening, offering prayers, lighting oil lamps, and decorating their homes with rangoli and flowers. Many observe a vigil, staying awake through the night to invite the goddess’s blessings of wealth and prosperity. Soft devotional songs and bhajans fill the air, creating an atmosphere of serenity and joy.


2. The Sacred Milk Offering

A highlight of Kojagiri Purnima is the preparation of special milk, usually flavoured with cardamom, saffron, and dry fruits. This milk is placed in silver vessels under the open sky to absorb the moon’s cool, nourishing rays. Consuming this moon-charged milk is believed to balance the body’s “pitta” (heat) and improve immunity after the humid monsoon months.


3. Community Gatherings and Singing

On this night, rooftops and courtyards become lively social spaces. Friends and families gather to sing, share stories, and enjoy the moonlight. In many regions of India—especially Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Bengal—people organise Kojagiri parties, with music, dancing, and the shared enjoyment of moonlit delicacies.


Maharashtra: The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Families host “kojagiri milk parties”, staying awake together and exchanging wishes of prosperity.


West Bengal & Odisha: Sharad Purnima is also associated with the divine love of Radha and Krishna. Devotees observe fasting and sing bhajans dedicated to the Lord.


Uttar Pradesh & Bihar: People worship Goddess Lakshmi and place vessels of kheer under the moonlight, later distributing it as prasad.


Gujarat: Many communities combine Kojagiri with Garba dances and night-long devotional singing.


Scientific and seasonal relevance

Beyond mythology, Kojagiri Purnima also reflects ancient wisdom about seasonal health. The post-monsoon period brings a shift in climate, and moonlight is thought to have a calming, cooling effect on the body. Modern science acknowledges that spending time under natural moonlight can reduce stress. The nutrient-rich milk infused with moon rays is a healing tonic for immunity and digestive balance.


Relevance today

In a fast-paced world, Kojagiri Purnima offers a chance to pause and reconnect. The festival encourages us to:

  • Spend time under the open sky, appreciating nature’s simple wonders.

  • Strengthen family bonds through shared rituals and conversations.

  • Cultivate gratitude for prosperity and abundance.

  • Restore health by following time-honoured seasonal practices.


To keep this cultural gem alive for the next generation and to pass it down to future generations, we can:

Share Stories: Narrate the stories of Goddess Lakshmi and Krishna’s Raas Leela to children, sparking curiosity about their roots.


Involve Kids in Rituals: Encourage them to help prepare the spiced milk, decorate the pooja space, or design rangolis.


Blend Tradition with Modern Joy: Host small rooftop parties with music and games that celebrate both the full moon and family bonds. Teach the Science: Explain how moonlight and seasonal rituals promote well-being, so they see tradition as both meaningful and practical.


Kojagiri Purnima is more than a festival of rituals—it invites us to awaken to nature’s abundance, the moon’s healing light, and the warmth of human connection. Under the silvery Sharad Purnima moon, we are reminded that true prosperity lies in health, harmony, and shared joy.


(The writer is a tutor based in Thane. Views personal.)

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