Sleuths from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday searched the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital at Kathirgamam following complaints, including alleged irregularities in the purchase of equipment during the previous AINRC regime.
Sources in the hospital said the search began at 11 a.m. and continued late in the evening. A seven-member team from the CBI searched the administrative block and verified the files and documents related to purchase of equipment and the appointment of staff in the college.
The team had searched for vital documents related to the Centac admission for 2017-18 in which the CBI had already registered a case against five senior officials. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) had found serious lapses in the administration of the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute and Hospital (IGMCRI), which had resulted in lack of infrastructure, inadequate staff, and non-availability of essential drugs.
According to the performance audit, covering the period 2011-16, the Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Medical College Society, which runs the college, in connivance with the general hospital, had misrepresented facts on actual bed strength to the MCI for obtaining annual renewals.
The society borrowed beds along with personnel from the general hospital to fulfil the MCI criteria for annual renewals.
Against the prescribed number of 348 drugs for a tertiary care hospital, only 145 were purchased, of which, on an average 100 drugs were out of stock. Shortfall in nursing staff had impacted the quality of healthcare.
The society had engaged 778 unqualified multi-purpose workers without the approval of the government. These workers were deployed in core areas of the college such as operation theatres, wards and laboratories, thereby posing high risk to the lives of patients, the CAG report had pointed out.
