No mismanagement of COVID-19 funds: Health Department

Dr Vizolie Suokhrie and other health officials addressing the press conference in Kohima on August 19. (Morung Photo)

Dr Vizolie Suokhrie and other health officials addressing the press conference in Kohima on August 19. (Morung Photo)

Morung Express News
Kohima | August 19

Amidst criticism and questions on the management of funds released for COVID-19 response in the State, officials from the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW) asserted that it has been transparent in management of funds. 

Addressing media persons this afternoon, Principal Director, Dr Vizolie Suokhrie said the management of funds has been transparent and the government has been doing its best to tackle the pandemic despite the resource crunch.

Rs 17.16 cr on testing alone

While the COVID-19 tests are being done for free in the state, Joint Director Dr Kika Longkumer said that State Government has spent approximately Rs 17.16 crore on testing done through RT-PCR and TrueNat machines till date.

A total of 31,124 tests were done through RT-PCR at an estimated cost of Rs 4,500 per test while 21,015 TrueNat tests were conducted at Rs 1,500 per test, he informed.

Altogether, around Rs 14 crore has been spent on RT-PCR testing and approximately Rs 3.15 crore has been spent on TrueNat testing, he said. 

This, however, does not include the cost of other logistics expenditure and the amount calculated is only for the cartridges, he added.

On the reports that some district hospitals are facing resource crunches, Dr Longkumer maintained that further release of fund depends on the reproduction of statement of the previous allocated funds.

On backlogs of tests

Dr Suokhrie, meanwhile, claimed that though there is shortage, there has never been a day when the State ran out of cartridges for testing till date.

However, he said that about 1000 backlogs emerged earlier as the BSL-2 lab in Dimapur ran out of reagents and the BSL-3 at Naga Hospital Kohima (NHAK) had some problems with RNA extractions kits. The Principal Director maintained that the backlogs ‘were sorted out and cleared.’

The BSL-3 facility at NHAK faced some hiccups with PCR Kits yesterday with 45 backlogs but the problem was sorted out today, he added.

On CIHSR BSL-2 fiasco

Responding to reports of problems arising out of the ‘meagre salary’ paid to the scientists and technicians at the BSL-2 facility at CIHSR, Dimapur, without divulging much, Dr Suokhrie said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the institute. The department has agreed to support and bear the salaries of the scientists and technicians engaged in the BSL-2 facility for a period of one year, he added.

TrueNat NABL certification for private hospitals

Considering the urgent need for private hospitals to set up Truenat laboratories, Dr Suokhrie informed that few private hospitals from Kohima and Dimapur have applied to set up testing facilities which require certification from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and approval from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

One being enquired on the average time required for accreditation and approval, he said that it takes at least seven days for NABL’s accreditation and about 14 days for ICMR’ approval.

When asked on the cost of TrueNat testing once it is set up, Dr Suokhrie informed that the government will fix the rate for all private hospitals. Currently, the cost of TrueNat testing is Rs 1,500 per test in the state (only for the cartridge) while it costs Rs 2,800 in neighbouring Assam, he said. 

He, meanwhile, appreciated the government for approving 390 posts in the health department. He informed the recruitment process is going on and expressed optimism that they will be absorbed into service by next week.