Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended on Thursday a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged ‘fake lab tests’ in Arvind Kejriwal government’s Mohalla Clinics in the national capital.
The Kejriwal government is facing allegations that it’s Mohalla Clinics referred “ghost patients” for” fake lab tests” in private laboratories.
As per the allegations, money was paid to the private labs against lakhs of fake tests. According to reports, the scam runs in crores of rupees.
The LG office said that “fake” diagnostic tests were prescribed by the Mohalla Clinics to benefit private labs and recommended the matter be probed the CBI.
Reacting to the development, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that vigilance committee report flagged the alleged irregularities in Mohalla Clinics and asked how over 500 patients were attended in a span of four hours.
“Mohalla Clinics run from 9 am to 1 pm. There are reports that more than 500 patients were seen in a day. Are there CCTVs in Mohalla clinics? If there was a CCTV, then there must be footage of over 500 patients visiting the Mohalla Clinic in a day,” he added.
Responding to the allegations and the CBI probe recommendation by the LG, Delhi Health Minister Sourabh Bhardwaj downplayed the issue, saying there were some irregularities related to doctors’ attendance and the government acted against them.
“We have suspended 26 people, including seven doctors, who were not coming to the clinics but marking their presence using recorded videos…. I thinks this is also related to that.. several incidents related to that matter have surfaced…,” he said.
He further added that Directorate General of Health Services and the health secretary should conduct random checks as the staff has not been appointed by the Arvind Kejriwal government.
Earlier in December last year, LG Saxena had recommended a CBI probe into the alleged supply of drugs that “failed quality standard tests” and had the “potential of endangering lives” to hospitals run by the city government.