Who’s paying for these outrageous deals? You are

Dr V.K. Ramteke, former medical superintendent (MS), was held accountable for procuring 15 normal beds for trauma centre at 10 times the cost by calling them ICU beds.

Dr V.K. Ramteke, former medical superintendent (MS), was held accountable for procuring 15 normal beds for trauma centre at 10 times the cost by calling them ICU beds.

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Neurosurgeon Dr P.N. Pandey and orthopaedic surgeon Satish Kumar were charged for “wrongly raising indent” for specialised ICU beds when there was no demand from the senior anaesthetist - the ICU in-charge.

The three doctors are among 19 senior doctors, officials and suppliers of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital who are charged with “causing unjustified expenditure causing loss to the government exchequer”.

A 103-page report commissioned by the Director of Vigilance (DoV), available with HT, has been with the vigilance department of Delhi government for over a year now. The FIRs are yet to be registered.

Under Prevention of Corruption Act (1986), inquiry officers under the DoV had established financial irregularities and undue favours

to suppliers by the hospital staff.

While Dr Ramteke was charged with favouritism towards manufacturers and owing disproportionate assets, additional MS Dr M.S. Chopra and Dr A.B. Dutta (now retired) and several others were charged with manipulating the processes for procuring medicines, surgical equipment and furniture.

“I am an honest man and I don’t remember being part of any of these tendering processes,” Dr Chopra said.

Dr Ramteke and Dr Pandey refused to speak to the reporter.

Despite several calls on their mobile phones, which were answered by family members, they could not be reached.

Manufacturers Medicare Textiles and Primex India were charged with influencing hospital authorities by giving them gratifications for favour, rigging tenders, etc.

Sources in the government, who refuse to be identified, said bureaucrats in the DoV have overruled and tried to subvert the law by not permitting the anti-corruption department to register FIRs.

“There are efforts to misplace the file (number F25/ 12/ 2006/ DoV), where the chief secretary had recommended filing FIRs against the erring bodies,” the source said.

Mehta said he did not recall the file.