Internal audit finds several lacunae in Pune Cantonment Board-run (PCB)run hospitals

Pune: The internal audit of the Pune Cantonment Board-run (PCB) Sardar Vallabhai Patel Cantonment General Hospital by a private firm has pointed out to several lacunae in the functioning of the hospital. The report prepared by Prakash Mahendra Vinod and Co was tabled during the General Body meeting held at the PCB headquarters on Wednesday.

The report has pointed out several administrative and other lapses while going through the records of the hospital. The audit noted that the record keeping or documents filling system was poor. It also added that the blling system related to admitting of patients was not followed while the deposit collected from the indoor patients had not been accounted in the books of accounts.

The report made it clear that the concessions meant for the poor were given but supporting documents have not been obtained which according to the auditor was a serious lapse. The stock records of medicines in respective wards were neither found to have been kept properly nor updated.

Referring to the procedures related to expiry of medicines, the report stated that the laid down procedures were not followed and the waiver in indoor patients billing was done without taking the necessary documents. Besides, incorrect data entry was made into the computer records of the stores department.

The audit has suggested that there should be a centralised report issue system and prescribed norms should be followed in case of expired medicines. The board has asked the hospital to examine the report and come out with a action plan and roadmap for improving on its grey areas.

PCB Chief Executive Officer K. Nagi Reddy said that the expenditure incurred at the board hospital was equal to the budget of a small cantonment board in the country. He said that the audit report is an eye-opener and it was for the first time that an extensive and detailed audit was conducted. "The board decided to conduct an audit so that it can bring about a greater efficiency in our services and lead to an improvement in functioning of the hospital," he said.

PCB President Brigadier Lalit Joshi said that the audit will lead to bringing about more professional and transparency in the functioning of the hospital. The board has sanctioned an amount of Rs 3.5 lakh as professional fees to the company for conducting the audit.