KGMU sacks eight contractual workers for fraud

The expelled staff members of King George’s Medical University (KGMU) are facing charges of misusing patients’ unique IDs for issuing medicines and implants that were much cheaper than those available in the open market The matter came to light when it was found that sale of particular items such as stoma bags was very high at one of the HRF shops on campus, said a senior KGMU official. (File pic of KGMU)

King George’s Medical University (KGMU) sacked eight contractual workers for selling cheap medicines and implants meant for poor patients in the open market.

According to a source at the hospital, many more involved in this scam will be exposed in the coming days as the probe reaches its final stage.

The expelled staff members are facing charges of misusing patients’ unique IDs for issuing medicines and implants that were much cheaper than those available in the open market. The medicines and implants were not given to the patients but sold to private medical shops outside the campus. The items had been brought by KGMU under the hospital revolving fund (HRF).

“The matter came to light when it was found that sale of particular items such as stoma bags was very high at one of the HRF shops on campus,” said a senior KGMU official involved in the probe.

Under the HRF, the university negotiates the rates of different medicines and implants used for patients and obtains them at the cheapest price possible. The discounts offered by companies are up to 70% on select items. Hence patients get these items at a very low cost from over a dozen HRF shops on the campus.

The fraud came to light when staff at the HRF shop in Centenary hospital was questioned about the high sale of a particular implant (stoma bag).

“The staff there didn’t cooperate with the probe and didn’t name anyone involved in the fraud. Hence, we ousted all the eight staff deployed there. The screening of documents was going on to find out the quantum of the items sold fraudulently,” said the official.

Read More : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/kgmu-sacks-eight-contractual-workers-for-fraud-101652114310816.html