Members of the Hospital Development Society (HDS) at Government Ayurveda Medical College Hospital, Thripunithura, have alleged that meetings of the HDS were not held regularly.
They also said there was little transparency in the running of the hospital, where the patient flow had increased tremendously.
The last meeting of the HDS was called in January after many months, said HDS member N.N. Somarajan.
According to Rajasri Chaliath, councillor of the ward, she had been called for meetings only three times over the last three years.
As per the HDS by-law, a meeting should be called every three months and the Society should be renewed every year, said Rajendran Pillai, general secretary, Pothujanaarogya Samrakshana Samiti and former member of the HDS.
However, meetings were rare and administrative work regarding the society was found lacking, he alleged.
P.A. Thankachan and K.A. Rafeeq, members of HDS, told The Hindu that they did not get to see any reports on work done or activity at the hospital at the meeting that happens very rarely.
Mr. Pillai alleged that there was no auditing of funds coming into the HDS, which got about ₹1.5 crore every year from treatment and patient services. The HDS, during his term, had appointed a private auditor, he said.
Not more than 70% of the funds from the HDS should be used for paying salaries of contract or daily wage employees. But the rules were flouted by the hospital authorities, he added.
Hospital superintendent T.P. Sarasa told The Hindu that the last HDS meeting was held a little late because of the floods in August 2018. The hospital was involved in conducting a lot of medical camps and other flood rescue and rehabilitation activities over several months.
A general body meeting of the HDS is scheduled for May 20.
The 489-bed hospital handles over 1,000 patients in the out-patient department on a daily average. The in-patient facility is full for most part of the year. Patients from nearby areas arrive for therapy on a daily basis to avoid stay in the hospital.