Top state govt officers on hospital board wash their hands of horror

VVIP: Ex-Health Minister admits AMRI gave discounts to Ministers.

As grief and anger over Fridays horrific fire that killed 91 at AMRI Hospital sweep across the city,the role of the state government and some of its top officials is set to come under close scrutiny as well.

Not only did AMRI have a VVIP list of patients including former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and former Sports Minister Subhas Chakrabarty it had top state government officials as members of its management who today claim they were unaware of the alleged violations that could have led to the tragedy.

Emami,managed by Kolkata-based R S Agarwal and R S Goenka,controls a 66 per cent stake in AMRI,Kolkata-based developer Shrachi (controlled by S K Todi) has a 30 per cent stake,the West Bengal government holds the remaining stake.

Six owners from the private partners,the Shrachi and Emami Group,were taken into police custody for 10 days for their alleged negligence and culpability today.

Sushanta Bandopadhyaya,Director of Medical Education,West Bengal government,is the chairman of the Board of directors of AMRI. I have joined just three months ago as the Director,I am not even aware that I am the chairman of the board of directors of AMRI. How can we take responsibility for the ill deeds of private partners? he asked.

Sukumar Bhattacharya,Special Secretary,Health and Family Welfare,is also on the board of directors. Sources said that the last meeting of the Board of Directors was held in September Bhattacharya was present.

At Writers Buildings,Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh said none of the government officials attended the mdetings of the Board of Directors. However,Ghosh,before he was appointed Chief Secretary,was Chairman of the AMRI board and did attend several meetings of the AMRI Board. Before Ghosh,Kalyan Bagchi,then Health Secretary,was also chairman of the AMRI Board of directors.

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Surya Kanta Mishra,Health Minister in the CPM-led government,in whose tenure AMRI expanded and diversified its operations,told The Sunday Express that the government was a partner in this venture. Asked if it should have asked more questions of AMRI,Mishra said: I am not so sure how much you can hold the government responsible for the mishap.

But Mishra admitted that AMRI offered financial benefits to members of the government. The private partners used to give us concessions and discounts on bills for ministers and other recommended patients treated in AMRI. But the profit earned by the private partners never went to the state coffers, he said.

Asked what was the level of participation of the government in the AMRIs board of directors meeting,Mishra said It was regular. The government representatives used to attend regularly.

An officer of the rank of Additional Chief Secretary,Sumantra Chowdhury,who retired in January this year has also joined AMRI.