The Shirdi-based Saibaba Temple Trust has come to the rescue of the cash-strapped state government for the upgrade and modernisation of a section of state-run medical colleges to help provide better patient care, particularly in rural areas.
The trust¡¯s chairman and senior BJP leader Suresh Haware told TOI that the trust has donated close to Rs 71 crore for the upgrade of four medical colleges in Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Aurangabad and Nagpur.
¡°We held prolonged meetings with bureaucrats of the medical education department on providing better healthcare. Based on their submissions, we have released funds for procurement of state of the art equipment for providing better diagnostic care,¡± said Haware.
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Haware further said that Rs 13 crore has been released for Yavatmal Medical College, Rs 35.3 crore for Indira Gandhi Medical College, Rs 15 crore for Aurangabad Medical College and Rs 7.5 crore for Chandrapur Medical College.
¡°The medical education department has proposed to procure modern MRI and CT scan machines for the colleges. For Indira Gandhi Medical College, it has proposed procurement of MRI, CT scan and DSA (digital subtraction angiography) machines,¡± said Haware.
Haware said in the aftermath of a large number of farmer suicides by consuming pesticide in Yavatmal district, it was found that the government-run medical colleges faced acute shortage of diagnostic equipment.
¡°We had a discussion with medical college officials and based on their recommendation procurement of an MRI machine was proposed. We expect that since the funds have been released, the department will procure all the equipment after following the due administrative process,¡± said Haware.
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The temple trust has fixed deposits of Rs 2,100 crore while its annual income is nearly Rs 700 crore. It receives Rs 2 crore per day¡ªRs 1 crore each from donations and rent and food provided to devotees.
A senior bureaucrat said Shirdi Temple Trust¡¯s financial assistance will go a long way in improving government-run medical colleges.
¡°We are passing through a critical financial condition due to the resource crunch. On one hand our debt burden has crossed Rs 4.6 lakh crore and on the other resources are grossly inadequate. Under such circumstances, we expect private charitable trusts to come to our rescue for providing better healthcare to the poor,¡± he said.