New Delhi: The Union home ministry has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the alleged scam in the Delhi government’s flagship programme of Mohalla Clinics.
Delhi lieutenant governor, V.K. Saxena, just a day earlier had recommended that CBI launch an investigation into the running of Mohalla Clinics.
The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government has been offering 450 medical tests free of cost to poor patients through its Mohalla Clinics initiative from January 1, 2023. Two private companies have been entrusted with the responsibility.
However, there are allegations of fake tests and dummy patients. “Data clearly revealed that fake lab tests were carried out at these mohalla clinics that need to be further inquired,” an official from the L-G’s office told The Indian Express.
According to Saxena’s office, several disingenuous methods are being employed by the staff of Mohalla Clinics to get “lakhs of tests conducted on dummy patients” and the government money is paid to private firms as per an inquiry by the Vigilance department.
Saxena’s office said, for instance, only the digit “0” was entered in the section meant for mobile numbers in 11,657 cases; the space was left blank in 8,251 cases; mobile numbers of 3,092 patients were entered as 9999999999; 400 mobile numbers began with 1,2,3,4 or 5; and the same number was used more than 15 times in around a thousand cases.
Based on the Vigilance department report, Saxena’s office said as many as 20,000 tests were recommended by the outsourced labs either on blank mobile numbers or on “0” digit. According to LG’s office, the “scam” runs into hundreds of crores.
In fact, the alleged scam first became public in September last year after it emerged that some doctors and staff of seven Mohalla Clinics in Southwest, Shahdara, and Northeast districts were employing dubious means to mark their attendance through pre-recorded videos. Those doctors were later removed from the empanelment of doctors and a case was registered against them.
Meanwhile, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said he had received complaints against a few doctors coming late or leaving early from work. He had ordered action against them in September.