Superintendent faces inquiry

A probe has been ordered against the MS, Dr Behra and another officer of Shastri Park Hospital. Both officials have been transferred, reports Vidya Krishnan.

A VIGILANCE inquiry has been ordered against the Medical Superintendent and purchase officer of Shastri Park Hospital. Both officials have been transferred on grounds of ‘excess and irrational purchases’.

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Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Bhaskar Behra, had locked up the ICU, saying that patients were not coming. This was after Hindustan Times reported that fake patients were being admitted in the non-functioning ICU that cost the government exchequer over Rs 1 crore. Further, the sterile area was being used to wash utensils, among other things.

The state government's health department had ordered an enquiry after Hindustan Times carried a report on the hospital on

April 22. “The transfer is in process and an inquiry has been set up to investigate the matter,” said Vivek Rae, Health Secretary, Delhi Government.

In the report, HT had revealed that that despite procuring equipment worth Rs 1.09 crore, the hospital’s ICU is non-operational. The hospital has an annual budget of Rs 17 crore. And according to an audit by the state government, the hospital causes an additional loss of approximately Rs 3 crore by way of ‘unfruitful purchases and expenditures’ annually.

The hospital had spent Rs 1.5 crore on purchasing 35 cardiac monitors, when it does not even have a cardiologist. And worse, the cardiac monitors were installed in the Gynecology OPD, Labor Room and Eye department.