CAG pulls up govt for idle AIDS project funds

A chapter titled `National AIDS Control Programme’ observes that of the 66 blood banks taken up for modernisation under the NAIDSCP, 46 were not supplied the required equipment, and 20 banks received it only partially. Equipment received in eight banks and the number of zero surveillance centres and sentinel centres in the state were also found to be inadequate.

In 12 out of 19 zonal blood testing centres, all the 12 ELISA testing units were not in working condition. Nearly 67 substandard units received from the National AIDS Control Organisation were still waiting to be replaced.

Of the 35 sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics covered under the programme, 28 had not received the required equipment and 7 had received them partially from NACO, which affected the programme qualitatively. Also inadequate was the health education programme. In some instances, health education material was not distributed by district health officers, and the parcels containing the material were either not opened or the material not displayed. Orders for supply for educational charts were placed without following the proper purchase procedure, the report said.

The report also noted that the state AIDS cell failed to ensure the proper utilisation of grants sanctioned to non-governmental organisations. Some NGOs did not furnish utilisation certificates, statements of expenditure and completion certificates. No watch was kept on their receipt and no checks exercised, said the audit report. It also recorded complaints from some NGOs in condom promotion and the poor quality of condoms received from the Government of India. Although one NGOs requested the Civil Surgeon at Thane in November 1995 to supply 2.12 lakh condoms per month from his stock of 16.20 lakh condoms, the civil surgeon failed to do so. No supplies were made to the NGO till the preparation of the audit report, the report said.

Training imparted to the medical and paramedical staff was started only three years after the commencement of the programme due to non-receipt of training material from NACO. Even after this, a total of 465 medical officers required to be trained remained untrained, the report added. The state AIDS Control Board was required to meet at least once in two months, but met only thrice since it was established in July, 1992.