Investigating charges of corruption against doctors in state-run hospitals, the Anti Corruption Bureau raided houses of four senior doctors, including the Head of the Ophthalmic Department of Deen Dayal Updhyay (DDU) Hospital, Dr M C Agarwal.

The doctors have been named in an FIR by the Anti Corruption Bureau in association with graft charges in the purchase of ophthalmic instruments. Besides the doctors, incriminating evidence has been found against M/s Medelec Instruments — the company that had supplied instruments to the hospital at ‘highly unreasonable prices’ — ACB officials said. Purchases made by the Ophthalmic Department of the hospital had caused the exchequer a loss of over Rs 20 lakh.

Under the National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), the Union government sends free lenses to this hospital through the Blindness Control Society. However, the hospital management went ahead and bought these lenses from the market at inflated prices, it has been alleged.

“We found incriminating evidence at the residence of the accused persons. The matter has been registered and documents are under scrutiny,” said a senior official in the Anti Corruption Bureau.

According to the complaint, instruments like an intra-ocular posterior chamber lens, which is available in the market for Rs 1,450, was purchased by the hospital’s ophthalmic department for Rs 1,695. The hospital bought 750 pieces, costing the exchequer Rs 12,71,250 extra. Similarly, it is alleged, the hospital paid Rs 4.11 lakh for a slit lamp, which is priced at Rs 2.20 lakh in the open market. Another Rs 2.97 lakh was shelled out for the imaging facilities. An Indian maker would have charged Rs 40,000, he said. Similarly, an imported synaptophore — a device that diagnoses squints — is available in the market for Rs 2.68 lakh. But the hospital paid Rs 4.30 lakh to the supplier, says the FIR. Besides DDU Hospital, the Vigilance department has sought permission to file an FIR against doctors at Lok Nayak Hospital on corruption charges.

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