MCH sets up panels to probe funds misuse, selling of beds
Times of India | 2 October 2024
Kolkata: The Medical College Hospital Kolkata (MCHK) has constituted two separate committees to enquire into allegations of corruption on campus. While one committee will be probing the misuse of govt funds in its central laboratory, the other will investigate the complaint of selling of beds to unsuspecting patients by some middle-men.
TOI on Monday had reported about these charges brought by the Medical College Students Union (MCSU) when the union had submitted the complaint to college principal Indranil Biswas for an enquiry.
According to the complaint, MCSU alleged that kits and tests at the hospital’s central laboratory were being used to test samples from private labs. While these kits are meant for testing samples from patients in the hospital free of cost, samples from private laboratories were allegedly being tested using these kits in exchange for money.
The students had alleged that such a corrupt practice was being carried out under the direction of the then RKS chairman Sudipta Roy and a pathology technician named Jayanta Ghosh who works in the central laboratory.
TOI earlier had reported about corruption on the MCHK campus, similar to what was happening at RG Kar Medical College, based on a complaint lodged with the CM and agencies like CBI, ED and the state vigilance commission by a whistle-blower where this central laboratory issue was mentioned.
An 11-member committee, headed by the hospital’s forensic medicine head Chandan Banerjee, has been tasked with probing the central laboratory issue. Another 11-member committee chaired by general medicine head Soumitra Ghosh will probe the allegations of a syndicate of middlemen exploiting patients and their families by charging them money for immediate admission to CCU or getting beds in the wards.
“Actions will be initiated once the probe is done and it is verified if the allegations are correct,” said an official.