The investigation committee set up by the State Government to look into the allegation of financial irregularities in the operation of the Community Health Centre (CHC) of Raipur submitted its preliminary report on Friday.
The committee was set up by the State Government on the complaint of hospital superintendent Dr Naresh Napalchayal in which he had alleged that the hospital management is engaging in gross financial irregularities. The Raipur CHC is functioning under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode and is being managed by Rajbhra Medicare Private limited since August 2013. This company is also managing the operation of CHC of Sahia in Dehradun district and CHC of Naugaon of Uttarakashi district.
The head of the investigation committee, Dr D K Chakrapani, told ‘The Pioneer’ that the three-member committee has submitted its preliminary report to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dehradun. He, however, refused to divulge the details of the findings of the committee. It is learnt that that the committee has found the Rajbhra Medicare Private limited guilty of financial irregularity in pathology and other tests. Sources revealed that the private player insists its doctors to recommend unnecessary pathological and other tests for the Below Poverty line (BPl) patients and pregnant women.
It is also learnt that the investigation committee has found many instances in which same test was performed on patients three times with the same results. It is worth mentioning here that the tests of BPl patients and pregnant women are free of charge and under the MOU of PPP signed between the private player and the State Government. The Government would bear the costs of these tests. Interestingly, the relatives of the BPl patients and pregnant women do not protest for unnecessary tests as nothing is being charged from them.