Medical equipment received in grant during COVID-19 become useless

Health related equipment received in grants from different donor agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic has become useless. Director of Management Division of the Department of Health Services, Dr Sarbesh Sharma, said the medical equipment was useless as there are no coronavirus patients in the country at present. “There is no infection of coronavirus in the country. Different donor agencies had provided health-related equipment for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he mentioned. Sharma shared that some donor agencies had provided health equipment without demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief of the Supply Branch of the Division, Dr Surendra Chaurasiya, informed us that 218 health appliances have become useless. Of them, 91 ventilators, 46 portable ventilators, 13 ICUs, and 11 anesthesia work stations have become useless. Different donor agencies provided 1,445 pieces of health equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Director Sharma added there was a high demand for such equipment during the coronavirus and currently the equipment is not installed due to a lack of physical infrastructure. Preparation was underway to bring such equipment into use by shifting them to other places, he said.