Cash crunch hits PCB, as it seeks Rs 3cr from PMC

Cantonment board officials claim civic body authorities promised financial aid but the latter said only healthcare commitment was made for treating patients

The cash-strapped Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has a massive financial dilemma to deal with at present — either to extend COVID-19 healthcare further or stop salary of own employees. Worse, its plea to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for financial assistance virtually fell on deaf ears even as the board cited a recent court order. PMC officials made it clear that they committed aid in healthcare facilities to PCB but there was no commitment of monetary assistance even at the court.

Since 2017 when goods and services tax (GST) was implemented, the board has been struggling to make ends meet. With dwindling revenue, especially during the lockdown period when the board cannot even collect toll tax at its entry points, extending crucial healthcare to patients will certainly take a hit.

In spite of financial constraints, PCB started COVID-19 treatment facilities. Three dedicated units were begun — health centre in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital and two other COVID care centres in schools.

With Rs 2.26 crore received from the collector’s office, they have even started construction of a 10-bed ICU facility in the hospital. While the facility is ready, the PCB authorities do not have funds to appoint doctors required to cater to serious patients in ICU. Based on the capacity, they need 16 doctors, 16 nursing staff, eight intensivist along with 20 other support staff. But given the condition the board is in, the officials have claimed that paying salaries of existing staff is now a problem and the recruitment of new staff remains to be a question.

Against such a grim backdrop, the board officials have written a letter to their PMC counterparts, requesting them to transfer Rs 3 crore. This, according to the PCB authorities, is the aid that they are expected to provide as committed in the court by PMC officials. They have claimed that despite reminders and multiple letters, PMC authorities have not even reverted to them.

Speaking to Mirror, PCB chief executive officer Amit Kumar said, “A writ petition regarding our financial crunch is at present being heard in Bombay High Court. The petition is regarding the funds that cantonment board is seeking to resolve the financial crisis. PMC, in its affidavit, offered to help the cantonment board. If we consider the current situation, we are treating patients living in the PMC limits and also from rural parts more than those from the cantonment board area. Considering this, we have written to them seeking Rs 3 crore. We have also sought funds from state disaster response force (SDRF) too. If we receive this money, we will be able to keep going.”

Justifying the board’s stand, Dr V D Gaikwad, in charge of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital, said they have to spend approximately Rs 10,000 per patient. The doctor has claimed that they have already discharged 252 patients — 126 from cantonment board area and another 126 from PMC limits — after treatment. As of Thursday, 91patients from PCB area and 44 from PMC limits are admitted at the hospital.

To cater to 450 beds in various facilities, they have also recruited additional staff. But while the expenses are increasing, officials said, they have lost the revenue that was being collected through toll tax in the past two months. While NGOs and social organisations have stepped up to help the funds need to be obtained from the government agencies, but that itself is a task.

PMC authorities however claimed that they had only committed for assistance in terms of healthcare facilities and not the financial aid. Rubal Agarwal, additional commissioner of PMC, clarified, “I have not received any letter from the cantonment board. However, we had committed that we will extend our healthcare facilities to them. If there are patients in their limits, they could be hospitalised in PMC facilities. We never committed financial aid. So far as their claim of treating PMC patients is concerned, I will look into it and verify the same.”