CAG Audit Reveals Widespread Idling of Medical Equipment in Kerala Govt Hospitals
A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has revealed that 172 pieces of medical equipment, valued at Rs 7.28 crore, are lying unused in 21 government hospitals across Kerala, with idle periods ranging from 1 month to 107 months. The root causes, as outlined in the CAG report on public health infrastructure and health services management tabled in the state assembly on Tuesday, include a shortage of operational staff, pending repairs, and unnecessary procurements where hospitals received equipment they did not indent for.
Key Institutions Hit Hard: Millions in Equipment Unused, Some Beyond Repair
Among the worst affected are the Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha, and the Dental College in Thiruvananthapuram, where 59 pieces of equipment worth Rs 4.94 crore have remained idle for years. Of these, 20 items valued at Rs 89 lakh are deemed beyond repair. The report notes that the Director of Health Services (DHS) and Director of Medical Education (DME) missed an opportunity to redistribute such equipment to other needy hospitals, ensuring better utilization of procured resources.
- Govt Response Deemed Inadequate by CAG
In response to audit queries, the DHS stated that eight pieces of equipment (valued at Rs 14.09 lakh) from three hospitals had been transferred to other facilities. The state government added that for GMC Thiruvananthapuram, steps were being taken to either restore usable equipment or condemn non-functional ones. However, the CAG dismissed this response as inadequate, pointing out the absence of a clear action plan or timeline for making the equipment operational or initiating condemnation. Moreover, the government’s reply failed to address non-functional equipment in other hospitals, the report highlighted.
- Varied Reasons for Idling: From Unneeded Gear to Infrastructure Gaps
The reasons behind the equipment idling are varied: some items were never installed, while others lacked trained staff to operate them. At the Thrikkanapuram Community Health Centre, for instance, an ECG machine, ear care kit, oxygen concentrator, and another device were left unused simply because the hospital had no need for them. An X-ray machine remained idle for nearly 30 years due to missing radiation safety measures in its designated room, and many hospitals cited insufficient space as a reason for unutilized equipment—even after the machines had been procured and delivered.
- Audit Highlights Critical Gaps in Public Health Resource Management
The audit underscores critical gaps in public health infrastructure management, where valuable medical resources fail to reach patients due to administrative oversights, resource misallocation, and lack of proactive planning.
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