NEW DELHI, June 10: The Union Ministry of Health has spent crores of rupees on ministers, Member of Parliaments, Lieutenant Governors and bureaucrats for their medical treatment abroad in the past six years, paying scant regard to the stipulated per capita health expenditure of Rs 69.60.Revealing this before the Delhi High Court, the government expressed its inability to get further details on such expenditure from the ministries and departments concerned.Additional Solicitor General A M Singhi told the bench comprising Justice C M Nayar that 86 persons including senior bureaucrats, ministers and lieutenant governors visited United States, United Kingdom and other foreign countries for their medical check-up in the past six years. ``The lack of coordination has rendered the Union Ministry of Heath and Family Welfare helpless to furnish the exact amount spent so far,'' he added.Among those who have visited foreign countries for medical treatment are: former prime minister V P Singh, Lieutenant Governor G C Saxena, Rajendra Kumari Bajpai, P Upendra, Ajit Kumar Panja, C K Jaffar Sharief, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Kanshi Ram, Sukh Ram, Ram Niwas Mirdha, Chief Medical Officer Manju Rani Gupta, MP M M Hashim, Buta Singh's wife - Manjit Kaur, MP Ankushra R Tope, MP Kailash Narain Singh and Justice S Ratnavel Pandia.Giving details of the government's recommendations, Singhvi informed the court that in 1991-'92 about 22 persons were sent abroad for their medical treatment, 12 in 1992-'93, nine in 1993-'94 and six in 1994-'95. This included Arjun Singh, Sitaram Kesri, Sheila Kaul and Sanjay Singh.Out of the 35 applications received in 1995-96, the ministry recommended 25 persons including Panja, Jaffar Sharief, Sukh Ram, P Upendra, Justice Pandia and Manjit Kaur. According to the affidavit, the ministry spent Rs 45,94,263 for Panja's medical treatment in UK. Another Rs 23,21,636 was spent on Sukh Ram, who visted USA in August, 1995.Besides 54,885.88 pounds, over Rs 4,74,860 was spent on Sharief, Rs 2,86,630 on P Upendra, 21,480.35 pounds on Manjit Kaur, Rs 1,88,414 on Justice Pandia, 3213.52 pounds on Saxena, Rs 5,19,656 on V P Singh and $ 34,432 on Rajender Kumari Bajpai.Expressing concern over mounting expenses incurred on treatment of senior government officials and MPs abroad, the Bench directed Singhvi to submit details of expenses from 1991 onwards.Stressing on the need for a proper guideline on medical treatment abroad, Justice C M Nayar asked the government to stop the practice and concentrate on strengthening the existing medical facilities in hospitals here.Under the Central Services Medical Attendance Rule, 1994, a government servant and his family members are eligible to be sent abroad for cardio-vascular surgery, kidney and other organ transplants, joint replacements, certain types of medical and ontological disorders and medical treatment involving laser and ultrasonic shock waves.Hearing a petition filed by H C Gupta, who had been refused kidney treatment abroad, the bench observed: ``If such large amounts of public money are spend on medical treatment, the government should be more accountable to the public.'' Justice Nayar further observed that ``the foreign trips of the bureaucrats and politicians should be made public so that the people know how much money is being spent on their trips.''
