Delhi LG urges CBI probe into mohalla clinic lab tests
The Delhi government of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claims that their earlier stand against health department bureaucrats is reinforced by the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) decision to ask the CBI to look into suspected irregularities at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics (AAMCs). The inquiry was started by the LG, VK Saxena, to look into issues that were reported, like ghost patients and phony lab tests at these government-run clinics. This action follows the LG’s concerns regarding drug samples taken from three government hospitals in Delhi, suggesting a closer examination of the area’s medical procedures.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, the Health Minister of Delhi, has approved the investigations that the Lieutenant Governor has started into suspected irregularities at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics. Bharadwaj emphasized that the AAP government had previously expressed concerns about these issues and asked the LG to take specified officials—the health secretary and the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) at the time—to accountability. According to the minister’s statement, the ongoing inquiries are in line with the AAP government’s efforts to resolve problems within the health department and hold those accountable for any irregularities found.
Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj contends that issues within the health department, including staff attendance and medicine quality at Mohalla Clinics, fall under the purview of health department officials. He emphasizes that the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) oversees these matters, with the health secretary at the top of the hierarchy. Bharadwaj asserts that these officials, appointed independently, are responsible for conducting random checks. He criticizes the CBI investigation as being recommended by officials who were chosen by the health secretary and DGHS, suggesting that the probe is against those officials, not the AAP government.
Widespread anomalies were discovered by the investigation ordered by the Lieutenant Governor’s office, including tens of thousands of fictitious radiological and pathology tests conducted on nonexistent patients. Private laboratories were allegedly referred to perform these fraudulent tests, and the government paid these labs for the allegedly fraudulent services.
According to Lieutenant Governor Saxena’s description of the investigation, widespread corruption in the healthcare system has been found. According to empirical data, tens of thousands of tests were purportedly recommended for “ghost patients,” who were identified by using fictitious or blank mobile numbers. The results point to pervasive document manipulation, record forgery, and corruption with the intention of siphoning off public funds and giving private companies running different Delhi government-run healthcare facilities unfair advantages.
Many of the issues brought up in the current investigation, according to Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, were first brought to his attention in September of the previous year. He had called a press conference to draw attention to the fact that some Mohalla Clinics did not always have doctors on duty, instead using pre-recorded videos to verify attendance. Bharadwaj states that at the time, both the physicians and the support personnel working in these clinics faced repercussions.
The Lieutenant Governor’s request for a CBI investigation has drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which sees it as yet another betrayal of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) reputation. Union Minister Anurag Thakur charges Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP of turning corrupt. AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar responds to the claims by pointing out that over 230 cases against AAP leaders have resulted in no convictions. Lieutenant Governor Saxena, who supports the Union government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, is still at the center of the power struggle between the AAP and the BJP. This power struggle is characterized by court cases and legislative changes that give the Centre control over Delhi’s bureaucracy.
Following the passage of legislation, the chief minister leads the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA), which is composed of the principal home secretary and chief secretary. The NCCSA makes decisions about the posting and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi. The Union government appoints the chief secretary and principal home secretary, so the Center essentially controls these appointments. Nonetheless, the Lieutenant Governor (LG) has the final say in matters of policy. This comes after the LG recently revealed that two weeks earlier, medication samples from three government hospitals in Delhi were labeled as “not of standard quality” (NSQ).
