MGMH: A case of 'Fence eating the crop'

Warangal: In a case that portrays a fence eating the crop, the officials at the helm of affairs until recently gobbled up medicines, oxygen flow meters and what not meant for the treatment of coronavirus in the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH). And now they stand to pay dearly after the committee in charge of an internal inquiry submits a report.

MGMH has always been in the news, and of course for wrong reasons, especially embezzlement and corruption. Since its entry into the country, the coronavirus pandemic not only pushed lives to the brink but also opened up the doors to corruption. The medical mafia within its ranks of the MGMH guzzled everything from life-saving medicines such as remdesivir injections to healthcare necessities – oxygen, oxygen flow meters, PPE kits etc.

It's alleged that the officials, who headed the hospital administration in the past, in collusion with the outsiders diverted remdesivir injections and oxygen flow meters to black market or to their own hospitals. The head in-charge of the MGMH created fake Covid-19 patients for the sake of hospital records, inside sources say. It's said that the in-charge managed to get his post by influencing a former Health Minister.

The MGMH sources say that the matter had reached Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Meanwhile, Dr Chandrasekhar, the newly appointed Superintendent of MGMH, has constituted a committee with senior professors to probe into the issue.

It's learnt that the government had supplied more than 6,000 remdesivir injections in the recent past. Of which more than half have got past the premises of MGMH illegally. The number of flow meters in the hospital has also come down drastically from 1,100 to 400 (approximate figures) with the mafia selling them to patients in need.

Speaking to The Hans India, Dr Chandrasekhar said, "We are looking into the scam. As of now, an internal inquiry is on. The government will take further action based on the fact."

On the other hand, it's learnt that the committee got down to tallying the number of flow meters and remdesivir injections in the hospitals and their consumption for the inmates according to the case sheets and talking to the patients.