Thiruvananthapuram: Former DHS, DMO get rigorous imprisonment for corruption
The accused were also found to have pressurised junior doctors to prescribe the vaccine.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance court here sentenced a former director of health services (DHS) and a former Thiruvananthapuram district medical officer (DMO) to five-year rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh each on them in connection with the corruption in the purchase of hepatitis - B vaccines. Former DHS V.K. Rajan and former DMO K. Shailaja were convicted for the irregularities in the purchase of vaccines worth Rs 1.49 crore.
Two other accused in the case, store verification officer Sadasivan Nair and pharmacist Mohammed, were acquitted and another accused, store supervisor Agustine, died during the course of the probe. Vigilance additional legal adviser Biju Manohar, who appeared for the prosecution, said that the accused had caused loss of Rs 1.49 crore to the exchequer owing to the unnecessary purchase of the vaccines.
They purchased hepatitis - B vaccines in bulk quantities though there was no hepatitis - B outbreak in the district during 2002-03. Moreover, the ice-lined refrigerator facility required to store the vaccines were not available in the district. Hence, they were stored along with insulin in hospitals. This led to the administration of insulin instead of the hepatitis - B vaccines for some children and they developed health issues. Hepatitis - B vaccines that lost quality owing to improper refrigeration were also administrated to some patients. The accused were also found to have pressurised junior doctors to prescribe the vaccine. The probe was conducted by Vigilance SPs R. Sukesan and Gopakumar.