Delhi Mohalla Clinic 'Scam' Gets Murkier with New Findings on 'Fake Lab Tests'; Health Minister Reacts

Another alleged scam has surfaced in Delhi in connection with the health facilities. After supply of ‘spurious drugs’ in government hospitals, ‘fake laboratory tests on ghost patients’ have reportedly surfaced in Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics.

According to the allegations, payments have been made to private labs against lakhs of fake tests. The scam reportedly runs in hundreds of crores.

The doctors at mohalla clinics have been accused to marking attendance through pre-recorded videos, while non-medical staff allegedly prescribed tests and medicines to patients.

Further, according to the allegations, fake/non-existent mobile numbers were used to mark the entry of patients. Lt Governor V K Saxena has reportedly recommended a CBI inquiry in this regard amid speculations over the same model being followed in AAP-ruled Punjab.

Reacting to the fresh accusations, Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that they had received a complaint regarding this on September 20, following which services of 26 medical staff were terminated with a warning of strict action.

“There were complaints about some doctors either entering late or leaving early. The attendance system in mohalla clinics were good. A video was shot of the staff entering and exiting, and one had to blink his/her eyes into the camera to register attendance. However, some mischievous doctors found a way around it. They got their videos recorded, and investigated the matter. After this 26 people were thrown out,” Bharadwaj elaborated.

He added that the Directorate General of Health Services and the health secretary should conduct random checks as the Arvind Kejriwal-led government has not appointed the staff. “No one agrees to our recommendation. We have already sent so many suggestions. We have already complained against them; recommended action against them in writing, in court. Yet no action is taken,” the state health minister said.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson RP reminded Delhi residents of the 2021 incident when three children ‘died due to cough syrup prescribed at mohalla clinic’. “Fake Test, Fake Medicines & Deaths bcoz of wrong Prescriptions (sic),” he posted on X.

LG Saxena had last month recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged supply of drugs that “failed quality standard tests” and had the “potential of endangering lives” to hospitals run by the city government.

“I am further directed to state that any action for supplying such kind of ‘Not of Standard Quality’ drugs should not be confined to the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) and there is a need to investigate the entire supply chain — the role of the suppliers who procured from manufacturers and provided supply to the end users, that is, hospitals (patients).

“Besides, there is a need to lift the corporate veil to understand the gravity and motives of supplying ‘Not of Standard Quality’ drugs,” read the communication of the Directorate of Vigilance to the Union ministry.

The drugs that were found to be of “sub-standard quality” included critical life-saving antibiotics used for the treatment of lung and urinary tract infections — Cephalexin — according to officials.

They also included a steroid — Dexamethasone — for curing life-threatening inflammation in the lungs and joints and swelling in the body, anti-epilepsy and anti-anxiety psychiatric drug Levetiracetam and anti-hypertension drug Amlodepin, the officials said.

“In this context, it is not out of place to mention that the matter of ‘Mohalla Clinics’ was already entrusted to the CBI and a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) was also registered… It needs to be investigated whether the same drugs which have been procured by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) are also being distributed to the patients through the ”Mohalla Clinics” or not,” the communication read.

Citing Saxena’s recommendation for a CBI inquiry, it said: “Hon’ble Lt Governor, Delhi, considering the aforesaid facts based on material records, has directed that ‘the matter of Mohalla Clinics is already entrusted to CBI, this case, which may, inter alia, also involve supply of these failed ‘Not of Standard Quality’ drugs to such clinics may also be entrusted to the central agency, especially in light of the fact that the investigation therein involves multi inter-state stakeholders, including DHS, GNCTD, suppliers and dealers, manufacturers in other states and state agencies.” “It is accordingly requested that the matter be assigned to the Central Bureau of Investigation for further investigation,” it added.

According to a vigilance department report that was submitted to the LG, of the 43 samples of drugs that were sent to government laboratories, three failed the test and 12 reports were pending. Further, out of another 43 samples sent to private laboratories, five failed.

Drugs, such as Amlodipine, Levetiracetam and Pantoprazole, failed the test in both government and private laboratories. Cephalexin and Dexamethasone failed the test in private laboratories.

(With inputs Rupashree Nanda in New Delhi)