Gorakhpur like situation looms over Assam after vendors threatens to stop oxygen supply, govt. fails to pay Rs 7 crore dues
Guwahati, Oct 29 (IBNS): Due to lack of oxygen supply over 60 children died at the Gorakhpur BRD hospital two months back and the Gorakhpur like situation now looming over Assam after vendors of oxygen supply said that they wouldn't able to continue oxygen supply to the government run hospitals in Assam citing around Rs 7 crore pending dues.
The vendors also said that they will stop oxygen supply from Nov 1 next.
According to the reports, two major vendors had recently sent letters to the Director of Medical Education, Assam and said that they have yet to receive around Rs 7 crore from the government run hospitals for oxygen supply.
Meghalaya Oxygen Private Limited, a major vendor sent a letter to the Director of Medical Education on Oct 25 last and said in the letter that they have been supplying oxygen gas to the government run hospitals without any interruption day and night on all occasions let it to be festival, state holiday etc.
“But we have an outstanding of Rs 3.77 crore till September 30, 2017 for supplying oxygen gas. Despite of our earlier remainders till Oct 25, 2017, we have not received any payment and it has crossed almost 2 years. Now it has become impossible to supply further until we receive our outstanding payments,” Manager of Meghalaya Oxygen Pvt Ltd Gautam Hazarika said in the letter.
The vendor also said in the letter that, they wouldn’t able to continue supply oxygen gas from Nov 1 next.
On the other hand, Premier Cryogenics Limited also sent another letter to the higher authorities of the state health department and said that, they would stop supply of oxygen gas to the government run hospitals for citing around Rs 2.5 crore pending dues.
While, two major vendors threatened to stop supply of oxygen gas to the government run hospitals, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that, it is a regular matter.
“It is not a serious issue. Government will sort out the matter soon,” Sarma said.
Meanwhile, former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi took a jibe at the state health department and said in his tweet that, the health department not paying pending dues to oxygen suppliers of Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) exposes that the government is callous about the welfare of common people.
“Most of the equipments in government medicals is non-functional affecting the needy patients. Health department has become worst from bad. On one hand Himanta Biswa Sarma claims that there is adundance of funds but the government couldn’t pay dues to oxygen suppliers in last 2 years,” Gogoi said in his tweet.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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