New Delhi: Lt Governor V K Saxena has recommended a CBI probe into alleged fake lab tests and ghost patients at Delhi’s mohalla clinics, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday.
The development comes days after Saxena ordered a CBI probe into the alleged supply of drugs to Delhi government hospitals that had failed “quality standard tests”.
Delhi Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the AAP government had last year de-empanelled several doctors and staffers at Mohalla Clinics for wrongdoings and also demanded the sacking of the health secretary.
According to officials, “grave” fraudulent practices have been found to be prevalent in the lab tests being carried out in the name of patients visiting Delhi government hospitals and mohalla clinics with payments being made to private labs.
“It is indicative of a scam running in hundreds of crores (of rupees). Saxena had issued these directions while clearing a file pertaining to the extension of lab testing services to private parties for patients visiting mohalla clinics and Delhi government hospitals in December 2022,” an official said.
The Delhi government’s Vigilance and Health Departments carried out an investigation to look into the lab investigations that were being outsourced to private diagnostic companies.
In August last year, it was found that some doctors and staff of seven mohalla clinics in southwest, Shahdara and North-East districts resorted to “unethical practice” to fraudulently mark their attendance through pre-recorded videos, the official said.
These Mohalla Clinics were in Jaffar Kalan, Ujwa,
Shikarpur, Gopal Nagar, Dhansa, Jagjeet Nagar and Bihari Colony, he said.
Patients at these Mohalla Clinics were provided medical consultation and medicines were disbursed by unauthorised staff in the absence of doctors, thus endangering the lives of the patients, the official said.
In September last year, action was taken against the staff and they were de-empanelled and FIRs were lodged against them, he said.
Subsequently, a review of sample lab testing data for three months July to September last year- retrieved from two private service providers was carried out.
“It was found that fake or non-existent mobile numbers were used for registration of patients and subsequent lab tests that were supposedly done on them, the official said. “Also, there was duplication of mobile numbers. The data has clearly revealed that fake lab tests were carried out at these mohalla clinics that need to be further inquired,” the official said.
According to the inquiry report, there were 3,092 records of different patients with the same mobile number — 9999999999 — while in the case of 999 patients, their mobile numbers were repeated 15 or more times.
Similarly, 11,657 patients had the mobile number zero registered against their names while in the case of 8,251 patients, the mobile number column was left blank. As many as 400 patients had a single-digit phone number.
Reacting to Saxena’s recommendation of a CBI probe, Delhi Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the people under probe for allegedly supplying substandard drugs to city hospitals were chosen by “them” and not his party’s government.
Bharadwaj at a press conference at the party office, said, if they are saying, “corruption has happened in Mohalla Clinics, then suspend the health secretary.”
Bharadwaj said that he had in September addressed a press conference, announcing the de-empanelment of 26 staffers, including seven doctors, posted at Mohalla Clinics, for allegedly trying to manipulate the attendance system.
“As far as the health department is concerned, or Mohalla Clinics, drugs, and whether the standard is good or not, or if anyone is entering phone number or entering random digits, or some wrong number (at mohalla clinics), this has to be checked by officials, and they have a DGHS above and above that health secretary is there,” he argued.
It is their job to do “random checks” at their level, the minister said.
“Who has appointed the DGHS? not us. Who has appointed the health secretary? not us. Who has chosen them, you all know. People chosen by them (for these posts) are committing wrong things. And, they themselves are probing it.
“So, they are probing people appointed by them only, and not probing us. We have given it in writing that they be removed,” Bharadwaj told reporters.
The health minister hit out at the BJP over its allegation that money to the tune of crores was lost in these scams but the government took no action.
“In small issues, officers lose their jobs immediately. One act of negligence leads to suspension.
“And, here you are saying that a large number of people were given spurious drugs and no one has been suspended, no action has been taken, how is it happening?” Bharadwaj said.
“You are saying corruption has happened in mohalla clinics, so suspend the health secretary. What are you waiting for?
“This is an unusual investigation. Because, they are people appointed by them only. They are saying they have committed corruption and not removing them. Wonderful! What governance,” he said.
Asked about the allegation of ghost patients, Bharadwaj said, “Who is doing this? Is the minister doing that?”
“We have lodged complaints. They do not want to take action... We have sent a recommendation in writing,” he added.
“Why not suspend the health secretary? What are you waiting for? These people
(senior officials) have been deployed by them (L-G and
BJP government at Centre) only,” he said. With agency inputs