Unutilised Cancer machine at DMCH

Since most of those highly sophisticated and costly instrument are procured with the IDA/ donors' funds, it has to go for open bidding and with a neutral specification and there is no scope for mentioning any particular brand or preferring a particular company's item. It is not only barred by IDA procurement rules but also by the country's financial and procurement rules and procedures. Procuring such goods takes a long time, not less than 12-15 month. Getting the requirement list, CMSD tries to get a neutral specification. But the request provided by the specialists cannot provide specification in most cases. The specialist doctors always prefer the branded machine which they handled during training abroad. This creates a lot of problems for making specifications of machines/instruments for the health care system. In certain cases, CMSD even had to hire expatriate consultants for preparation of specifications. As such, a lot of time had to be lost. After completion of formalities the CMSD goes for bidding, and bids are evaluated technically by those specialised doctors/professors. When they approve the matter , financial evaluation is made at the appropriate level of authority according to financial involvement of the procurement. Sometimes it goes to the ministerial purchase committee and even to the prime minister. There is little scope for the ministry's officials to choose any particular company at their will. So blaming the ministry for importing obsolete machinery is not right.