Health ministry probes AIIMS Bhopal over irregularities in medicine purchases

A team of officials from the Union Health Ministry visited AIIMS Bhopal to examine documents related to medicine procurement, following allegations by Bhopal MP Alok Sharma that the institute purchased medicines at inflated prices.

Earlier, the matter was raised before the AIIMS Standing Committee on Finance during a meeting in Delhi.

The central team arrived at AIIMS Bhopal on Thursday morning and examined documents related to the purchase of medicines. The team also met the Director of the institute and enquired about the purchase process.

The institute has been accused of purchasing medicines directly without following the rules of the central government.

In his complaint, Bhopal MP Alok Sharma mentioned that the prices of medicines purchased by AIIMS Bhopal are much more expensive than the AIIMS of other states.

Sharma, who is also a member of the AIIMS standing committee, said that he had received a complaint that the injection of Gemcitabine was purchased by Bhopal AIIMS at Rs 2100 per piece, whereas it was purchased at Rs 425 by Raipur AIIMS of Chhattisgarh. Its price in Delhi AIIMS is Rs 285 per piece. The prices of other medicines were also found to be higher.

"On May 15, a meeting of the AIIMS standing committee was held in New Delhi in the presence of Union health secretary Punya Salila Shrivastava. In the meeting, I complained regarding the high prices of medicines being purchased by AIIMS Bhopal. She assured me that an investigation will be conducted," said Sharma.

He also said that like other government hospitals, medicines are bought through tender in AIIMS. However, during the Covid-19 period, direct purchase of medicines was approved.

"However, despite the end of the Covid-19 period, direct purchase of medicines continued and the figure of purchased medicines reached crores," he added.