Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday referred an alleged scam involving ghost patients at Mohalla Clinics in Delhi to the CBI. According to the allegations, fake pathology and radiology tests were conducted on non-existent patients at Mohalla Clinics, aiming to make illegal payments to private labs in the guise of referrals as part of the purported scam. This development follows Saxena’s recent directive for a CBI probe into the alleged supply of drugs to Delhi government hospitals that failed “quality standard tests.”

The impact assessment report from the Delhi Government Health Department has revealed concerning findings. In 11,657 records from these seven Mohalla Clinics, patients’ mobile numbers were listed as ‘zero.’ Furthermore, in 8,251 cases, the mobile number column was left blank, and in 3,092 cases, the mobile numbers were entered as ‘9999999999.’

Officials also identified 400 entries with non-existent mobile numbers starting with 1-5, and 999 cases where the same mobile number was associated with 15 or more patients. The report raised questions about the legitimacy of prescriptions, as doctors marked attendance through pre-recorded videos. An official queried, “Who prescribed these tests and medicines to patients — non-medical staff?”

An enquiry was conducted by the vigilance and Delhi Government’s health departments at the Mohalla Clinics to investigate the lab investigations outsourced to private diagnostic companies. According to the enquiry report shared by the LG’s office, fake and non-existent mobile numbers were used to register patients and for subsequent lab tests supposedly done on them. Duplication of mobile numbers was also allegedly noticed.

“The data has clearly revealed that fake lab tests were carried out at these Mohalla Clinics, warranting further inquiry,” said an official from the LG’s office. The alleged scam came to light in September 2023 when it was observed that some doctors and staff at seven Mohalla Clinics in South-West, Shahdara, and North-East districts were fraudulently marking their attendance through pre-recorded videos.

The Delhi Government initiated a facility to provide 450 types of medical tests for free to impoverished patients at Mohalla Clinics across the city starting from January 1 of the previous year.

Two private companies were hired to conduct these tests.

The assessment report specified that the seven Mohalla Clinics subjected to the impact assessment were located in Jaffar Kalan, Ujwa, Shikarpur, Gopal Nagar, Dhansa, Jagjeet Nagar, and Bihari Colony areas.

Recommending a CBI probe into alleged fake laboratory tests in Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics, Saxena said, “It is deeply upsetting that such fraud is allowed to be perpetrated on the general public.”

In December 2022, the Delhi Government increased the number of free lab tests offered at state-run hospitals and Mohalla clinics from 212 to 450. Despite the LG’s approval of the proposal, an audit of tests prescribed at health facilities, as requested by the LG, was not carried out. Officials suggest that the scam may involve hundreds of crores of rupees.

Reacting to this, 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. Patients at these Mohalla Clinics were provided medical consultation, and medicines were disbursed by unauthorised staff in the absence of doctors, 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 the 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.

Reacting to Saxena’s recommendation of a CBI probe, Bharadwaj said the health secretary should be held responsible for the “sub-standard medicines” being supplied in Delhi government hospitals and the alleged scam at Mohalla clinics.

In September last year, the AAP government had announced the de-empanelment of 26 staffers, including seven doctors, posted at Mohalla clinics for allegedly trying to manipulate the attendance system, the minister said during a press conference here.

“If there are complaints about the standard of medicines or patient records in Mohalla clinics, officials are responsible for it. We have already said that action should be taken against the health secretary but nothing has been done,” he said.

“Why not suspend the health secretary? What are you waiting for? These people (senior officials) have been deployed by them (LG and BJP government at the Centre) only,” he said.

In December 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government announced that it would provide 450 types of medical tests free of cost at its hospitals and health centres from January 1, 2023.