65K ‘ghost patients’ underwent tests at Mohalla clinics last year: ACB

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 3

A preliminary inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi Government has revealed that 65,000 ghost patients underwent pathological tests at the Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics through private labs during 11 months of 2023, officials said on Saturday.

Two private labs — Agilus Diagnostics & Metropolis Healthcare — conducted nearly 22 lakh tests during February-December, 2023, out of which 65,000 were found to be fake, they said.

The labs were paid Rs 4.63 crore by the government for the tests conducted by them, they said. “The cost of conducting each of these tests varied from Rs 100 to Rs 300,” sources said.

‘Uncrowned kings of corruption’

Delhi CM Kejriwal and the AAP are the uncrowned kings of corruption in Delhi because there is no department that has not been cheated by Kejriwal and company. Not only liquor scam but these people have done scams in medicine and also in lab testing in the name of mohalla clinic. Be it education, liquor, tests, or the bus, if anyone has set a record of corruption everywhere, it is the AAP. — Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP national spokesperson

They added that if the average cost of one test is considered to be Rs 150, the racket would amount to over Rs 97 lakh. ACB sources mentioned that further investigation, involving random individuals whose mobile numbers were acquired during the probe, revealed that “an overwhelming 63 per cent had neither undergone any tests nor visited any mohalla clinic.”

The ACB also performed random tele-verification of mobile numbers belonging to patients mentioned in the records at both private labs. “This revealed that a substantial number of tests were conducted on either invalid mobile numbers or mobile numbers not associated with the patients,” stated the anti-graft watchdog.

Officials observed that while the two private labs conducted tests on ‘ghost patients’ who never visited any mohalla clinic, it was also discovered that the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), containing the names and mobile numbers of the patients, was developed, operated and conveniently manipulated by the two private labs. The report found that these private vendors had full control and access over the data and system software, raising concerns about the potential manipulation of data by the outsourced lab vendors.

Analysis of one of the private laboratory’s patient data showed listing of 12,457 tests with blank mobile numbers, 25,732 tests with ‘zero’ mobile numbers, 913 tests with fake mobile numbers like 1, 2, 3, etc; and 2,467 tests with mobile numbers repeated more than 80 times for different patients, showed the report.

The ACB initiated the inquiry on a complaint by the Special Secretary, Directorate of Vigilance, GNCTD, regarding the necessity to uncover data concerning the operationalisation of Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, dispensaries, polyclinics and hospitals since being outsourced to private players. Currently, 543 mohalla clinics are functioning in Delhi.

Last month, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the reports of irregularities in lab tests conducted at the Mohalla clinics. The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed the CBI to undertake investigation in the matter.

Labs paid Rs 4.63 cr for 22 lakh tests

According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the preliminary inquiry has revealed that during the period from February to December 2023, nearly 22 lakh tests were conducted by the two private labs for which they were paid Rs 4.63 crore by the Delhi government. An overwhelming 63 per cent ‘patients’ had neither got any test done nor visited any mohalla clinic.

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