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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.

Sanskrit’s Enduring Legacy

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Sanskrit’s Enduring Legacy

Sanskrit, an ancient language with profound cultural and intellectual significance, is often hailed as the “mother of all languages.” Its influence extends beyond its historical context, impacting many modern languages and fields of study. Among its contributions are the well-known Indian phrase, Atithi Devo Bhava, (The guest is God) and Karma, a globally recognised concept referring to the idea that a person’s actions directly influence their future experiences. Both terms originate from the Sanskrit language.

With a rich literary heritage that includes the Vedas, Upanishads, and epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, Sanskrit has significantly influenced modern languages, particularly those in the Indo-European family. Its precise grammar and extensive vocabulary have made it a subject of study for centuries, and its mathematical structure even draws parallels with modern computer programming.

While there are no native speakers of Sanskrit today, it remains a revered ceremonial and ritual language in Hindu and Buddhist hymns and chants. Beyond its literary and religious significance, Sanskrit embodies a vast repository of knowledge in various fields, including science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and art. Its systematic approach to language has contributed to our understanding of various disciplines, reflecting its timeless relevance.

Organisations like Samskrita Bharati actively preserved and promoted this rich heritage. For over 43 years, Samskrita Bharati has played a pivotal role in teaching and revitalising Sanskrit, both within India and globally. Known for its unique direct method of instruction—teaching Sanskrit without translation—the organisation’s flagship program is a popular ten-day free conversation camp that has been running for decades.

Participants can advance their studies through classroom or distance education programs like Geetakendram and Patradwara Samskritam. For children, Samskrita Bharati offers structured programs such as Balkendram (fun learning) and Devavaani (textbook-based curriculum). Learning Sanskrit also helps improve proficiency in regional languages like Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati.

`With over 4,000 locations in India and 25 countries globally, Samskrita Bharati engages with influential figures through initiatives like the “Sampark Saptaah” campaign. The organisation arranges conferences every three years and celebrates Samskrit Day on the full moon of the Shravan month. This year, Samskrit Day is on August 19, 2024, and will be observed as part of Samskrit Week from August 16 to 22, 2024.

As we look forward to events like Samskrit Week, we are reminded of the enduring power of this ancient language to inspire, connect, and unify us across cultures and time. Its legacy not only bridges the past with the present but also offers a timeless source of wisdom and cultural continuity.

(The writer is an official of Sanskrit Bharti. Views personal.)

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