VIJAYAWADA: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) conducted surprise checks at government hospitals across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday and uncovered several irregularities. Thirteen teams, with 100 officials — from the rank of additional SP to constable — participated in the dawn-to-dusk raids. All sections of the hospitals were inspected and the attendance of staff verified. The operation, carried out based on directions from Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy through ACB Director General PSR Anjaneyulu, will continue on Friday.
In the last few weeks, the ACB carried out similar surprise checks on sub-registrar offices in the State and followed it up with surprise inspections of tahsildar offices. Later, town planning wings of municipal corporations were raided. The operations are aimed at rooting out corruption from every department, especially those providing public services.
During Thursday’s raids, ACB sleuths found irregularities in the Pharmacy and Transport department of the Government District Hospital Tuni in Guntur district, and a detailed probe is likely to follow. In Tenali hospital, it was found that medicines were bought without purchase orders, violating the procedure of procurement.
Further, it was observed that due procedure was not followed with regard to procurement and utilisation of orthopaedic implants, and registers were not maintained properly.
Medicines bought without orders in Tenali hospital
ACB officials also found that the ambulance allotted to the hospital is not in a good condition to transport patients, but the driver entered falsified information in the logbook and continued to draw fuel charges.
In the same hospital, it was found that out of 23 security personnel provided by a private agency, five were working as data entry operators and male nursery assistants.
The diet registers were poorly maintained and there was a difference between the number of inpatients as per the register and the actual number of patients in the IP wards. Further, an unqualified person was selling medicines in the pharmacy at the hospital.
ACB officials also found that the mortuary at the government CHC in Bhogapuram of Vizianagram district collapsed, and the ambulance was in a condemned state since 2014 with no records maintained and higher officials not being informed of the same.
A part of the compound wall had also collapsed, and the toilets for men and women were defunct.
Like in Tenali hospital, irregularities were found in the records for procurement of medical supplies in Bhogapuram CHC as well.