EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.VINAY KOCHHAR.CHANDIGARH.
A Rs. 1.14 crore scam has been uncovered at Chandigarh PGI. Six individuals associated with PGI’s private grant were diverting patient funds into personal accounts. The CBI has filed an FIR against eight individuals, including six PGI employees and two others. The CBI investigation has revealed that the accused were running this entire scam from a photocopy shop. The shop owner has also been named as an accused.
A patient complained to the PGI administration after not receiving his medical bills. Following this, the PGI administration formed an investigation committee headed by Professor Dr. Arun Agarwal, which subsequently referred the case to the CBI. The accused used to transfer patient grant funds from the photocopy shop to fake bank accounts. Additionally, expensive medicines received in the patients’ names were illegally sold in the market.
The scam came to light when the husband of beneficiary patient Kamlesh Devi (file number 18796) went to the Private Grant Cell to collect medication from the approved grant of ₹2.5 lakh. He was told that his file had been destroyed and the digital records deleted. Subsequent investigation revealed that approximately ₹2.2 million had been transferred to an account belonging to Nivas Yadav, which had no connection to the patient.
Kamlesh complained to the PGI administration. Following this, the PGI administration formed a committee to investigate the matter. The committee, headed by Dr. Arun, found several discrepancies, including that ₹90,000 meant for another patient, Arvind Kumar (file number 20404), had been transferred to the account of hospital attendant Neha. Further investigations revealed 11 accounts where ₹1.9 million had been fraudulently transferred to patients posing as family members of patients. Meanwhile, the Grant Cell transferred ₹38,946 out of ₹61.75 lakh received from the National Health Fund and other organizations for the treatment of five patients suffering from rare diseases, without a doctor’s prescription. Surprisingly, two of these five patients had already died.
Irregularities in 70 Cases, Missing Files
An investigation by the PGI’s internal committee revealed irregularities in records from 2017 to October 2021. This revealed 70 more such cases. In 17 of these cases, payments were received twice by tampering with the original bills of drug suppliers. The original files of 37 patients were found missing from the records altogether.
Read about who was involved in the scandal…
Employees associated with PGI’s private grant operated their scam from a photocopy shop in the Gol Market near PGI. The accused transferred the grants meant for patients to fake accounts. The money was transferred to the accounts of photocopy shop owner Durlabh Kumar, Sahil Sood, and their relatives, which they divided among themselves.
Irregularities Revealed in the Private Grant Cell
During the investigation, the CBI collected records from PGI, related departments, and various banks. These revealed serious financial irregularities in the PGI’s Private Grant Cell. This cell manages grants received from various departments. Financial assistance and medicines are then provided to patients through this cell.
The role of pharmaceutical companies is also under investigation
The CBI is also investigating other individuals involved in this scam. The roles of HLL Life Care, R Kumar Medicos, Kumar & Company, and Maruti Medicos are also being investigated, although these companies have not yet been named as accused.