PANAJI: Goa government will provide one-time grant-in-aid of Rs Ten lakh to ayruvedic and homeopathic college and hospitals in the state for purchase of one ambulance. Hospitals receiving grants under the scheme will have to provide free treatment to mentally challenged persons and senior citizens.
The scheme notified this week reads, “Due to recent medical development in the field of ayurvedic and homoeopathic medicines, many citizens from across Goa are opting for ayurvedic and homoeopathic treatments. However, due to lack of transport in village areas and also due to the poor economic conditions of the patients, the citizens are unable to reach the hospitals for treatment.”
The state has, therefore, designed the scheme for the hospitals providing alternate medicines. The scheme will be implemented by the directorate of social welfare, under which the beneficiary institutes will be able to purchase one air-conditioned ambulance.
All ayurvedic and homoepathic colleges and hospitals will be able to avail benefits of the scheme provided they have certain facilities such as a physiotherapy centre for the mentally challenged and senior citizens and an out-patient department for geriatric patients and a special out-patient ward for mentally challenged persons at least twice a week.
The beneficiary hospital will have to maintain a separate account of the grants received under the scheme and will always have to be open to a system of internal audit or concurrent audit. The institute will also have to be open to an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
A sanctioning committee for the scheme has been constituted by the state headed by the minister of social welfare. The sanctioning committee on being satisfied about the details submitted by the hospital will approve release of funds for purchase of the ambulance to the applicant institution.
Director of Social Welfare will release the grant to the authorized dealer for purchase of vehicle in the name of the hospital based on the quotation produced by the institute. On receipt of payment, the authorized dealer will deliver the vehicle to the grantee institute and the concerned institution will submit utilization certificate in the director of social welfare within 90 days.
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