CHENNAI: Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sleuths conducted searches at 13 places on Tuesday based on an FIR registered the previous day against former health minister and AIADMK MLA C Vijayabasker, alleging irregularities in the issuance of Essentiality Certificate to Vels Medical College in Tiruvallur district in 2020. The FIR said the certificate was issued by influencing the team that inspected the college.
The FIR also lists Ishari K Ganesh, trustee, VISTAS, K Srinivasaraj, dean of Vels Medical College and four doctors on the inspection team from Salem Mohan Kumaramangalam Government Medical College and Hospital, namely, then dean Dr R Balaji Nathan, Dr T M Manohar, professor of Orthopaedics, Dr J Sujatha, professor of Pathology and Dr J A Vasanthakumar, professor of Medicine. The houses of Dr Manohar, Dr Sujatha and Dr Vasanthakumar in Salem as well as premises linked to Vijayabasker were among those searched at Chennai, Salem, Madurai, Theni, Pudukkottai, Tiruvallur and Tambaram.
Sources said the inspection team abused its position and conspired with Vijayabaskar to give a false report stating the institution fulfilled National Medical Commission (NMC) norms and was eligible to start an MBBS course with 150 seats. “The accused had performed a public duty dishonestly for obtaining undue advantage from Ganesh while Dr K Srinivasaraj intentionally created and furnished false documents/electronic records to the inspection team which obtained the Essentiality Certificate,” the FIR said.
According to the FIR, Ganesh sent an application on November 3, 2019 to the Health and Family Welfare department Department to start a new medical college with an annual intake of 150 MBBS students. A week later, a letter was sent to the Director of Medical Education (DME), Chennai to ascertain if the proposed institution met NMC norms. Based on the letter, the DME nominated four doctors from the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam College, Salem to inspect the college premises.
After inspection, the team submitted its report for the issuance of Essentiality Certificate. However, when officials conducted a surprise inspection in November 2021, it was found that essential medical instruments, such as scan machines, X-ray machines and blood bank were not functional. The FIR alleged that the reality was found to be “disproportionately boosted” and the team had provided a false report certifying an under-construction building as a fully-functional hospital meeting requirements.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, Vijayabaskar claimed the DMK had conducted the raids to cover up the failures of its government. “Reports claiming over 120 documents were seized from the raid are untrue. Officers only took two mobile phones and Aadhaar cards belonging to me and my family,” he claimed.
He added that when he was health minister, the State government provided a No-Objection certificate to start a college but the final approval rests with the Union Government. “If FIR had to be filed for providing NOC, then a case has to be registered over all medical colleges that were opened during the tenure of the previous government,” he said.
‘Defects mentioned’
Dr Balaji Nathan, now dean of Theni Govt Medical College, said the inspection team’s report had mentioned all defects in the college. “... It is functioning after getting approval from the Dr MGR Medical University and NMC”