A case against four persons, one of them being a former Director of AIIMS Rishikesh, has been registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in relation to alleged irregularities and financial mismanagement in a multi-crore procurement scam of the hospital. The issue discussed in the case concerns the acquisition of equipment for a 16-bed Coronary Care Unit (CCU) within the Cardiology Department, which allegedly never became operational, even after significant investment was made.
The project was launched in December 2017 and was invested in around ₹8.08 crore. The CBI, however, alleges that there was manipulation of the procurement process in order to favour the supplier, M/s Pro Medica Devices, a company based in Delhi. The case accuses officials involved of acquiring poor-quality equipment and circumventing the right procedures, which cost the institution a lot of money.
These persons are mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR): Dr. Ravi Kant, the former Director of AIIMS Rishikesh; Dr. R. K. Sharma, the former Additional Professor of the Cardiology Department; Mr. S. K. Gupta, the former Chief Accounts Officer; and Mr. V. K. Sharma, the former Assistant Administrative Officer. It is alleged that they are conspiring to bring wrongful gain to the supplier and wrongful loss to AIIMS Rishikesh by fraudulently procuring the same.
After the case was registered, searches were undertaken by the CBI in various places ( such as the AIIMS Rishikesh campus) to produce documents and collect evidence. Governments are reviewing the procurement documents, monetary dealings and letters in order to determine the level of the irregularities mentioned. The institution has assured that it has been completely cooperative in the investigation.
It is just one to add to an increasing list of suspected financial irregularities at AIIMS Rishikesh. Other procurement and administration scams have been revealed in recent years, such as a 2-crore fraud over the acquisition of a road sweeping machine in 2022 and a 6.57-crore anomaly with advanced medical equipment in 2023. Such recurring incidents have cast doubts on the administration and fiscal control in the institution.
The CBI has underlined that the ongoing investigation is mainly concerned with transparency, accountability and proper use of the public funds. Authorities have encouraged players and citizens to wait for the results of the investigation before they can draw conclusions.
This is because, as the investigation continues, the authorities have vowed to take stringent measures against any individual who is caught engaging in mismanagement or corruption. The case highlights the necessity of close control over the activities of the public healthcare facilities, especially in critical infrastructure and medical equipment projects, where significant amounts of funds of taxpayers are engaged.
