Karnataka government misusing health mission scheme: NR Ramesh

BENGALURU: Former corporator N.R. Ramesh has alleged that the state government was misusing National Health Mission (NHM) scheme by submitting fake bills, thereby causing huge losses to the Central government. He claimed that the racket involved Health Minister U.T. Khader and senior health officials of NHM and BBMP. He also pointed out that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also the President of Karnataka State Health Mission, has not taken any action.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Ramesh said the Central government had allocated Rs 1,463.41 crore under the NHM to provide free treatment and medicines to patients in referral hospitals, maternity homes and specialty hospitals. However, not even 25 per cent of these funds have been utilized and fake bills have been submitted to cover nearly 75 per cent of the funds, he alleged. The former corporator said, “There are six referral hospitals, 27 maternity homes and 38 Primary Health Centres in BBMP limits. The contract to supply medicines to these hospitals has been given to the government-run company Karnataka State Drugs, Logistics and Warehousing Society. In 2015-16, the state government even paid '44.6 lakh to the company to supply medicines to these hospitals.”

He alleged that fake documents were created to show that medicines were supplied from 82 different pharmaceutical firms and free medicines were provided to all the patients, who had undergone treatment at these hospitals. He submitted various documents and claimed that “More than 15 pharmaceutical firms, which have allegedly supplied medicines, do not even exist anymore. The remaining firms listed are known for supplying sub-standard medicines. It’s an open secret that NHM officials act as middlemen and make business deals everyday.”

Ramesh alleged that the firms had quoted inflated prices and cheap medicines were supplied at exorbitant rates.