A complaint has surfaced alleging misuse of three four-wheelers donated to the Pune District Health Department for rural health outreach, with claims that the vehicles are being used by senior officials instead of for public health campaigns.
As per the documents, the proposal to donate three vehicles was received on April 3, 2025, from Gay Stump Company and Hope for the Children Foundation, Pune, aimed at strengthening healthcare awareness and prevention programmes in rural parts of Pune district. The District Surgeon accepted the proposal, following which the Deputy Director of Health Services (Transport) and the District Surgeon led to technical approval being granted on April 25, 2025.
The three Skoda cars were formally handed over to the Pune District Hospital on November 27, 2025. The stated purpose was to support Mobile Health Units and awareness drives focusing on maternal and child health, malnutrition, prevention of child sexual abuse, tuberculosis, malaria, adolescent health, and HIV/AIDS. The vehicles were also meant to improve outreach to primary health centres and sub-centres and assist in emergency health check-up campaigns for women and children. As per the agreement, the District Hospital is required to submit utilisation reports to the donor organisation for three years. However, the complaint alleges that instead of being deployed for field health activities, the vehicles were allotted to senior officials.
Health activist Sharath Shetty claimed that “vehicle MH 14 MV 5073 was handed over to the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to a minister, MH 14 MV 5074 to the District Surgeon, and MH 14 MV 5075 to the Deputy Director of Health Services, Pune.” He added that the fuel, maintenance, driver costs, and other expenses for these vehicles are being proposed to be borne by the government, contrary to the spirit of the donation meant for public healthcare outreach. “This is a serious misuse of resources meant for public health," he noted.
“Vehicles have been donated for use under national programmes at Aundh District Hospital, but they are not being used appropriately. For the past two years, Aundh District Hospital in Pune has ranked second from the bottom in quality performance across the state. The very purpose for which these vehicles were donated by private organisations is not being followed by the hospital administration,” said Prabha Prashant Rikame, a social activist.
Meanwhile, Dr Nagnath Yempalay, Civil Surgeon, Aundh District Hospital, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, “The vehicles are not meant for patient use. Their purpose is to monitor whether the national health programmes are conducted properly, and therefore the higher authorities are using them for monitoring and campaigning.”
