NEW DELHI, JANUARY 27: The country will face a shortfall of basic health-care centres by about 30,000 in the next two years, the Government in its affidavit admitted before the Delhi High Court on Thursday."The estimated shortfalls in number of sub-centres, primary health centres and community health centres based on projected population by March 2002 will be 22,989 and 3,901 and 3,830 respectively," Director General of Health Service (DGHS) in an affidavit told a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S N Variava and Justice Cyriac Joseph.The affidavit was filed in reply to a public interest litigation (PIL) which alleged that the Union Health Ministry had failed to fully utilise grants received from international agencies including the World Bank for health care programmes.DGHS said during the three financial years from 1995-96 to 1997-98, utilisation of funds ranged between 90 to 92 per cent as Government did not want to spend the money "hastily or in an ill-considered manner merely because it isavailable".The PIL filed by Advocate B L Wadhera claimed that WHO in its report of March 1999 had severely criticised the Health Ministry for failing to fully utilise 142.4-million-dollar World Bank aid for tuberculosis eradication programme."In 1996-97 the Government drastically cut down grant for the TB programme. Only Rs 27.97 crore were provided and the Health Ministry could only use just half of the money," the PIL said.
