ACB Raids LNJP Hospital's Procurement Department Amid Spurious Drug Probe, Samples Checked

New Delhi: The Anti-Corruption Branch's latest move in the spurious drugs case led to searches at LNJP Hospital in New Delhi. This action followed an FIR regarding the distribution of purportedly substandard surgical equipment and medical supplies across six government hospitals, including LNJP.

Among the embroiled hospitals were Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial, Janakpuri Super Speciality, Guru Teg Bahadur, and Lal Bahadur Shastri hospitals. Allegedly, these facilities received inadequate-quality medical equipment such as rolled bandages, sanitizers, infusion sets, and surgical gloves.

To deepen the investigation, the ACB has planned to visit around 33 Delhi government hospitals for further information gathering.

Simultaneously, the discovery of fraudulent practices prompted the Ministry of Home Affairs to order a CBI probe into the AAP-led Delhi government's flagship healthcare project, the Mohalla clinics, on January 5. This decision came after reports from the Directorate of Vigilance highlighted spurious medicine samples from three Delhi government-run hospitals: The Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Lok Nayak Hospital, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.

In response, Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the procurement and delivery of "non-standard" drugs to Delhi government hospitals and Mohalla clinics. This led the ruling Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party to call for the suspension of the Health Secretary. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party demanded the dismissal of Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj over the issue.

Reports have also alleged that numerous tests were conducted on ‘ghost patients’ at these clinics to benefit private laboratories in the national capital.