Lucknow: The investigation into the alleged Rs 2.5 crore medicine scam at the urology department of King George's Medical University (KGMU) has revealed that genuine patients had to wait up to 20 days for medicines, while costly drugs for 'fake beneficiaries' were allegedly procured by the scamsters within three to five days.
Employees Sacked and Suspended
KGMU on Tuesday sacked three contractual employees and suspended a pharmacist after a preliminary inquiry confirmed a scam in the procurement of medicines under the Asadhya Yojana. This scheme is designed to provide expensive drugs free of cost to poor patients on doctors' advice.
Modus Operandi
The employees allegedly procured free medicines by forging papers, showing that patients suffering from minor ailments were actually suffering from cancer and other serious diseases. In one case, they allegedly continued to procure medicines for a patient even after his death. The employees also created 'fake beneficiaries' on paper.
The five-member inquiry committee, which examined medicine orders and delivery records, suspects that the network involved in the scam may extend beyond the urology department.
Process Exploited
Explaining the process, KGMU spokesperson Prof K K Singh said the free drug procurement system under the Asadhya Rog Scheme involves multiple levels of verification before medicines are packed and distributed. However, the four employees found to be involved in the scam used to expedite the process of procuring medicines for the 'fake beneficiaries' by showing the patient's condition as critical and requiring emergency treatment. In contrast, patients who actually needed the medicines received them in 15-20 days as per the 'normal' procedure.
Employees Claim Innocence
Two of the three dismissed contractual employees — Sachin Tiwari and Prakash Singh — claimed innocence, stating that their role was limited to uploading patient details in the hospital information system and generating documents, while approvals and verification were carried out by senior officials and doctors.
The scam was detected when medicine procurement bills suddenly shot up in March and April.
