A committee constituted to carry out preliminary PROBE into suspicious activities by unauthorized outsider/private vendors inside the NEIGRIHMS will submit its report within two weeks.
The committee will submit its report to the union health ministry.
The Vigilance Division of the union health ministry has instituted an inquiry after receiving a complaint from the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong.
The NEIGRIHMS director requested the ministry for investigation into suspicious activities by unauthorized outsider/ private vendors inside the hospital moving around with consumables and entered restricted areas without prior approval of the medical superintendent.
The terms of reference of the committee include examination of the veracity of the allegations of suspicious activities by unauthorized outsider/private vendor inside NEIGRIHMS, conduct preliminary enquiry into the matter.
The committee will also prepare an enquiry report by taking into account comments of the vigilance section, advise further course of action in the matter to the ministry, besides any recommendation the committee may like to make.
The committee has to submit its report within two weeks.
NEIGRIHMS director DM Thapa sought a high-level team to visit NEIGRIHMS and he urged the health ministry to give him an opportunity to explain and clarify on the ‘fabricated allegations’ made against him during the meeting of the governing council.
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The decision to remove Thapa was taken during the 13th Governing Council meeting of NEIGRIHMS which was chaired by union minister for health and family welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on October 14.
Thapa was appointed on April 15, 2017 as the director of NEIGRIHMS but his appointment has not been ratified yet.
Thapa said he has been a victim of “clandestine business” which has been going on in NEIGRIHMS, especially in the cardiology department.
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He said he has followed the union health ministry’s order that materials for treatment of cardiac patients like stents and pacemakers should be bought from AMRIT pharmacy not from outside pharmacy, allegedly operating in nexus with the head of the cardiology department.
Thapa claimed the seizure of cardiology consignments which include stents, pacemakers and consumables approximately worth Rs 30 lakh on April 30 this year was just a tip of the iceberg of business syndicate of the head of cardiology, Dr Animesh Mishra and Sanjo Medical.
Sanjo Medical is a private pharmacy operating outside the NEIGRIHMS.
Earlier, Meghalaya health minister AL Hek claimed that the ground for removing the director was because he had not called a meeting of faculty and administration in the last two years to review the day to day affairs in NEIGRIHMS.