The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) arrested 10 people in Delhi allegedly for supplying sub-standard items to state-run hospitals in the national capital. The official documents of these hospitals also confirmed receiving the items even before the delivery was ever made.

ACB chief Madhur Verma said that during the investigation, the connivance of doctors, officials, and hospital storekeepers with these suppliers surfaced.

The accused manufacturers and suppliers had prepared receipts for items prescribed by health officials against the supply of substandard items and even in cases of short or no delivery. On the contrary, laboratory owners had allegedly produced fake and forged reports about the items supplied to them in bad quality.

The alleged scam was revealed when health officials in August last year held regular checks at six hospitals, including LBS, DDU, and GTB. The vigilance branch of the health department collected samples from hospitals and sent them to government-approved labs.

All the sample items, containing cotton bandages, absorbent cotton, rolled bandages, infusion sets, latex examination gloves, and rolled bandages, were found to be substandard or failed the test and turned out to be of sub-standard quality. This put the vigilance department in action, which filed complaints with the ACB. An FIR was lodged on January 5.

The investigation revealed that the accused allegedly used the GeM portal to supply the items. Although the prescribed items were supposed to be delivered with desired certificates from government-approved laboratories.

The ACB inspected 14 firms for their alleged involvement in the matter. Several laptops and documents were confiscated, while their representatives were grilled during the probe.

"Investigation revealed the government officials intentionally avoided taking the desired lab reports and licenses as mentioned in the GeM contract order. In some cases, license numbers mentioned by the supplier belonged neither to him nor the manufacturer," the ACB chief added.

The officials added that these items turned out to be purchased from local shops, which were sent to desired laboratories to obtain 'fake' approval.

Despite the open-ended investigation, the fraudulent activities continued in the hospital. Those arrested included manufacturers, suppliers, and pharmacists, while the crackdown is ongoing to catch others involved. The accused who were held, were identified as Arjinder Pal Singh, Kapil Makhija, Rajesh Malhotra, Rahul Chaurasiya, Hemant Joshi, Kamaldeep Singh, Shekhar, Harneet Singh Bindra, Shahid, and Bipin Pathak. The police informed them that Harshit Joshi was the owner of a firm based out of Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, which was supposed to supply about 49,000 handloom-rolled bandages. He placed the order with a Noida-based manufacturer who did not have the required license.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)