PM Cares Fund ventilators faulty, says Maharashtra hospital report

Barely 3 days after the Centre ordered an audit of all ventilators given by the Centre, a report by the Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) Aurangabad, has contended that many ventilators provided under the PM Cares Fund are faulty, a senior Congress leader said on Tuesday.

Giving details, Congress state Spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the 3-page report by GMCH, among other things, said that it was given 150 ventilators under the PM Cares Fund (PMCF) for Covid-19 patients of which 100 Dhaman III models were supplied by Jyoti CNC on April 12.

After installation and testing of some ventilators, they were found to be unfit for treatment of extremely critical Covid patients, said the report submitted by the Dean to the Aurangabad Collector.

The company's representatives, Sahdev Guchkund and Kalpesh came after six days and installed 25 ventilators, but all proved to be defective the very next day, April 20.

Sawant said that the report stated how the ventilators were not supplying oxygen to the desired levels making it difficult for the Covid patients to breathe, and consequently their oxygen levels were dropping, posing risks to their lives.

The company officials were informed but they left without giving any service report, a team of engineers came after three days, repaired two ventilators which again broke down and were removed from the ICU, even as the Congress cried foul and demanded an inquiry-cum-audit into the mater.

Despite repeated reminders, the service engineers failed to come after which the hospital prepared a report and on May 13-14, Jyoti CNC's officials, Rajesh Roy and Ashutosh Gadgil came and two ventilators were repaired, but crashed soon after.

"By giving sub-standard ventilators, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only wasted public money but played with the lives of the people. Hence our demand of a joint-audit and probe by the Maharashtra government was correct," Sawant pointed out.

Sawant said that some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were now trying to shift the blame on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, but the GMCH report has exposed them as they tried to protect the Jyoti CNC which is close to some BJP leaders.

After Sawant raised the issue last month, on May 15, Modi ordered an audit of the installation and operations of ventilators provided under the PMCF.

Of the 150 ventilators supplied by Jyoti CNC, 58 were installed and all are lying unused despite repairs, the company has not even started installing another 37 ventilators, and the balance 55 were distributed to hospitals in Parbhani, Beed, Osmanabad and Hingoli, as per the GMCH report.