NEW DELHI: AAP on Monday alleged a Rs 650 crore scam in the procurement of medicines and medical equipment by the health department, accusing the administration of changing procurement rules to facilitate financial irregularities.
AAP Delhi president and former health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that the government shifted procurement powers from individual hospitals to the Central Procurement Agency, enabling inflated purchases of medical equipment and supplies.
Bharadwaj alleged that portable X-ray machines with a market price of around Rs 10 lakh were procured for Rs 33 lakh each, while C-arm radiological equipment worth approximately Rs 25 lakh was purchased for Rs 1.10 crore. He also claimed that ORS packets costing around Rs 2.5 were bought at Rs 15 each.
The AAP leader alleged that the government appointed Dr Vatsala Aggarwal as director general of health services after bypassing several senior doctors and despite a pending vigilance inquiry against her.