Hyderabad, June 05: The government is set to crack the whip on officials of the Nizam’s Institute of Medial Sciences found guilty of corruption in construction contracts by the vigilance department. The government has also sought a report on the controversial purchase of stents at NIMS.
Medical education minister P Sudershan Reddy and special chief secretary to the health department J Satyanarayana said the report of the vigilance department has been sent to NIMS director D Prasada Rao for further action. The minister said a report has been sought from the director on the stents issue.
The vigilance department recently probed happenings on the NIMS campus at Bibinagar and found several irregularities in the award of work tenders and clearance of payments.
As regards construction contracts, it found that NIMS wqas scammed to the tune of Rs 30 crore. Construction of campus buildings was taken up at a cost of Rs 93 crore as against Rs 80 crore approved by the NIMS governing council. Though a tender could be awarded if the lowest bidder bids 5 per cent over the deemed cost, officials supervising the project allowed Nagarjuna Constructions to quote 24 per cent in excess.
The department also found that payments were made without verifying quality. It questioned why a retired engineerinchief was appointed as head supervisor and not a government ENC. Accounts were maintained without a measurement book, and Rs 2.63 lakh was paid out additionally against the rules. The contractor was paid Rs 50.83 lakh for removing rocks on the campus, which was not part of the contract. And as these rocks were not used in the construction, NIMS suffered a loss of Rs 29 lakh. Moreover, this amount was not recovered from the contractor, the vigilance report pointed out.
Further, road no 3 and 17 on the campus were not constructed with suitable metal but the bill for Rs 6.87 lakh was cleared.
Apart from the construction irregularities, NIMS faces major allegations on the purchase of stents. According to sources, the committee constituted by the hospital management, yielding to pressure from higher echelons, finalised only one type of stent instead of four.
A heart specialist said the stents chosen have to accord to the requirements of patients. However, with only stent available at NIMS, patients were put to unnecessary risk. Recently, a former legislator refused to be given a stent being used by the NIMS. A superspecialist also reportedly refused to use NIMS stents.
Questions are being raised as to why the committee preferred only one company for supplying stents and not others.
—Agencies