We received a circular from the government, which was sent to us by honorable boss of the boss, asking us to state how much money was required to give all services free to mothers and babies. The government had promised to take care of it. We worked out the expenses for antenatal outpatient and inpatient care, laboratory tests, operative treatment, ultrasonography, other imaging, critical care etc. We sent the letter for further action. A month passed by. Then the clerk who had been processing this proposal came to see me.
"Sir, I got a telephone call from the auditor asking me to explain how this huge expense was being funded up to now" he said.
I was aghast. To ask me how the civic body was meeting the expenses for patient care was not bordering on ridiculous, but was actually ridiculous. I think the auditors are trained or conditioned to ask this question, irrespective of its relevance.
"What can I say?" I asked. "I am a doctor working here to give healthcare. It is beyond me to explain how the civic body gets the funds to meet the expenses for this healthcare."
"The auditor wants an explanation" he said.
"Well, if you give me a letter asking for an explanation, I will answer it. I will say the civic body uses its funds, the source of which is best explained by the civic administrators who sanction the budget of the hospital. Whatever expenses the civic body cannot meet are met by the patients, unless there are some donors."
"OK" he said. "I will ask the auditor to ask me this question in writing."
"an we also find out why he needs to know that, since the government is asking us to give an estimate of the expenses so that it will provide the money. The government is not concerned how the expenses were met in the past. Then why are the auditors concerned about it?"
The clerk went away. I am yet to receive the letter, on which I look forward to answer as above.
"Sir, I got a telephone call from the auditor asking me to explain how this huge expense was being funded up to now" he said.
I was aghast. To ask me how the civic body was meeting the expenses for patient care was not bordering on ridiculous, but was actually ridiculous. I think the auditors are trained or conditioned to ask this question, irrespective of its relevance.
"What can I say?" I asked. "I am a doctor working here to give healthcare. It is beyond me to explain how the civic body gets the funds to meet the expenses for this healthcare."
"The auditor wants an explanation" he said.
"Well, if you give me a letter asking for an explanation, I will answer it. I will say the civic body uses its funds, the source of which is best explained by the civic administrators who sanction the budget of the hospital. Whatever expenses the civic body cannot meet are met by the patients, unless there are some donors."
"OK" he said. "I will ask the auditor to ask me this question in writing."
"an we also find out why he needs to know that, since the government is asking us to give an estimate of the expenses so that it will provide the money. The government is not concerned how the expenses were met in the past. Then why are the auditors concerned about it?"
The clerk went away. I am yet to receive the letter, on which I look forward to answer as above.
