With the fiscal year set to end on June 30, health officials have reportedly been busy over the last week to secure arrangements for making trips abroad with funds allocated under the outgoing fiscal.
Sources claimed that several teams of health officials were already off on foreign trips or were readying themselves for tours under different operation plans (OP) of the Health Ministry’s Health Population and Nutrition Sector Development Programme (HPNSDP). Their destinations include countries like Vietnam, China, Malaysia, USA and India.
The Health Ministry has already sent four letters to the Office of the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) seeking permission to withdraw Tk1.86 crore in advance from the allocated funds under the outgoing fiscal, for arranging foreign trainings for 51 health officials. Two of the letters issued were dated June 18 and 19.
Ministry sources, however, could not confirm how many of the officials had been actually sanctioned for the foreign tours.
Earlier this month, health officials were reportedly refusing to sign-up for foreign trips as reshuffling was going on at the top-level posts of the sector. The panic, however, has now vanished as there were no more changes of being made at the moment, sources claimed.
With time running out, a team of officials has reportedly gone abroad without withdrawing any money; while a company that is coordinating the trip has paid the costs “conditionally,” following assurances from health officials that the funds would certainly be approved.
There are allegations that only the influential officials of the sector were “repeatedly” being chosen to make trips abroad, while the others were being deprived.
Under the OP of National Nutrition Services (NNS), three teams consisting of 36 members will go to Hanoi Medical University of Vietnam to be trained in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and community-based nutrition programme management.
The Health Ministry has issued a letter to the CGA office to release over Tk1 crore in advance, to meet the expenses for the teams.
A four-member team under the OP of Health Education and Promotion has also been approved to withdraw Tk35.6 lakh and is now set to fly to Malaysia for a14-day training on information education and communication material development.
The ministry has also asked the CGA office to release Tk31 lakh for a seven-day trip to China by a four-member team under the OP of Hospital Services Management to be trained in a programme titled “Management Development Program for hospital services providers.”
Under the OP of in-service training of the HPNSDP, a two-member team has already been given Tk6.96 lakh for a 10-day exchange programme with the Massachusetts General Hospital in the USA. A separate five-member team under the same OP was also allowed over Tk5.4 lakh for a week-long exchange visit to India’s Bangalore.
Health specialists said the practice of arranging last-minute foreign trainings were immoral, even though the training was important for enhancing skills of the officials. The country could have benefited greatly if the authorities had properly planned the tours beforehand, they added.
Dr Md Shah Newez, line director of NNS operation plan, however claimed that they were always forced to plan tours at the end of fiscal years as funds were never given on time.
According to the Health Ministry, there are certain stipulations that need to be fulfilled, including following the Public Procurement Rules 2006 and the Public Procurement Act 2008, for spending money that was raised in advance. The touring team must also submit the expenditure details of the first instalment before receiving the second instalment of the fund.
