Hyderabad: Are babus responsible for O2 crisis?

Hyderabad: While political bosses are accusing one other of being responsible for the shortage of oxygen, here is a case, how the babus who really run the show from behind from planning to the implementation have gone without a scratch?

According to sources in the State Medical and Health department, it was more than a decade since the department has been using the Management Information System (MIS) like many other government departments. Further, the medical and health department, and Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) are functionally similar to its counterparts in Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the Health department said, "Due to the online MIS in use, it is possible to figure out the nature of the hospitals located in different part of the State, number of beds, operation theaters, availability and non-availability of medicines and other facilities, including a simple component of the daily requirement of oxygen."

However, this management aspect of the key component of oxygen supply for reasons best known have never shown up on the top of the agenda of medical and health infrastructure planning, development and execution for decades. Another shortcoming is the lack of interaction among the inter-ministerial and inter-departmental heads to identify assets and services and supplement by one another.

A former official, who worked in the state planning department in the united Andhra Pradesh said that the Covid exposed many shortcomings and weaknesses in the existing administration and its operations, including at the level of policy and planning.

"When there is an issue that needs to be addressed by two or more departments, then, it should be identified and placed before the political leadership for policy decisions. Otherwise, for example in the current case of oxygen shortage, an interaction between secretary-level officials of health and industries might have helped in identifying how the industries department can formulate its policies of thrust areas, to invite setting up oxygen manufacturing plants, based on the data-input from the medical and health department or encourage MSME units for the production of oxygen and distribution as part of its State government's industrial promotion to meet the essential needs of the state," he pointed out.

Further, an interaction between the medical and health and higher education can help in identifying the kind of human resources needed for running the public health system.

When asked a former chief secretary who worked in the united AP, he refused to comment on the current crisis of oxygen shortage. But, pointed out it was more to do with the lack of proper management of the existing stocks from the place of production and availability to the place of need.