Srikakulam: ACB raids on Pathapatnam CHC expose irregularities
ACB conducts raids on DMHO office
Srikakulam: The two-day ACB raids revealed naked facts about hopeless services at state hospitals. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials had conducted verification of records, inspection of environment and inquiry on services at Pathapatnam community health center (CHC) for two days on Thursday and Friday.
As part of random verification across the state, the ACB officials in the district selected the Pathapatnam hospital and conducted raids at all wings in the hospital.
At Pathapatnam CHC, both lab assistant and technician are forcibly sending the patients to private labs for all types of tests prescribed by the doctors. Both medical and non-medical employees are collecting percentage from these medical shops and laboratories based on the number of cases referred by them to it.
All the doctors who are working at the CHC are having private practice at Pathapatnam, Tekkali, Meliaputti areas and they were spending more time in their private clinics than the CHC.
The raids also exposed variations in hospital development society funds (HDSF). The non-maintenance of records on spending of these HDS funds is creating more doubts. Irregularities also came to light over stock of medicines in records.
Both medical and non-medical employees are concentrating on minting money instead of providing services to patients. Citizen charters are not displayed at the hospital showing available medical services at the CHC.
Boards also not displayed at the hospital premises by mentioning details like available medicine, medical kits and surgical items. Food for patients are supplying as per menu with nutritious items.
The food providing agency has no valid licence to supply food to patients.
"We have submitted a report to the government on our observations at the hospitals," stated ACB DSP B V S S Ramana Murthy to The Hans India on Saturday.
Interestingly, private medical shops and laboratories are remained closed for two days during the ACB inspections at Pathapatnam.