Delhi's Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has urged for a CBI investigation into purported irregularities concerning counterfeit lab tests and the existence of 'ghost patients' at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics (AAMCs) operated by the Delhi government. This move follows Saxena's directive for a CBI inquiry into subpar drug samples gathered from three government hospitals. The identified irregularities stem from probes conducted by the state's vigilance and health departments in 2023.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's flagship healthcare initiatives, the Mohalla clinics in Delhi, have come under scrutiny as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi requested the CBI to investigate corruption allegations related to diagnostic tests conducted at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics on January 4th.
According to sources, the Mohalla clinics purportedly conducted fabricated radiology and pathology tests in the absence of any actual patients. Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj raised concerns about this issue on September 20, leading to the removal of seven doctors stationed at Mohalla Clinics. Instances were reported where some doctors would arrive very late at the clinics but still record full attendance, while others would be absent for the entire day.
According to the report, there were 3,092 instances of distinct patients sharing an identical mobile number, specifically 9999999999. Additionally, in the case of 999 patients, their mobile numbers were duplicated 15 times or more. Similarly, 11,657 patients shared the same mobile number.
Likewise, 11,657 patients were recorded with the mobile number 'zero' associated with their names, and in the case of 8,251 patients, the mobile number field was left unspecified. Additionally, 400 patients were found to have a phone number consisting of a single digit.
Numerous registration forms also displayed duplicated phone numbers. After the clinics' random monitoring, a status report was compiled by the director at the Directorate of Family Welfare and presented to the special secretary within the Delhi Health and Family Welfare Department.
Mr. Bharadwaj expressed his approval of the CBI investigation into the Mohalla Clinic case. However, he accused the Centre of "shielding" the health secretary. He questioned the origin of ghost patients, suggesting it could be the work of officers rather than the minister. Bharadwaj criticized the lack of action against these officers and called for their dismissal. He highlighted that written proposals had been submitted, even before the Supreme Court, outlining their concerns.
On December 6, 2023, the special secretary in the health department submitted a report to the health secretary. The report proposed a comprehensive vigilance inquiry to evaluate the financial losses incurred by the Delhi government and investigate the suspected collusion of doctors and medical staff.
