CBI uncovers major flaws in medicine procurement system at RG Kar Medical College amid financial scam

During procurement of medicines from outside agencies, essential aspect of the technical evaluation of all the bidders was ignored

PGurus Newsdesk

September 21, 2024

During procurement of medicines from outside agencies, essential aspect of the technical evaluation of all the bidders was ignored

Major flaws in medicine procurement at RG Kar Medical College raise concerns over patient safety

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered significant irregularities in the medicine procurement system at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, following an investigation into financial misconduct linked to the institution’s former principal, Sandip Ghosh.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, key aspects of the procurement process were neglected, particularly the essential technical evaluation of bidders. This evaluation is crucial for shortlisting suppliers based on their expertise and reputation in providing medicines to reputable medical facilities.

Standard protocol dictates that only bidders who pass the technical evaluation should proceed to the financial bidding stage, where the lowest bidder is typically awarded the contract. However, the CBI found that this critical step was often bypassed under Ghosh’s leadership, allowing unqualified bidders to advance based solely on their lower price quotations.

Incriminating documents reviewed by investigators indicate that many tenders were awarded to non-eligible bidders, raising serious concerns about the quality of medicines supplied to patients. Insiders from RG Kar, including post-graduate trainees, have reported that their warnings about the subpar quality of these medicines were ignored by Ghosh.

Additionally, it has emerged that the junior doctor, who was tragically raped and murdered on the hospital premises in August, had been an outspoken critic of the quality of the supplies. This highlights the dire implications of the procurement flaws on both staff and patient safety.

The investigation continues as the CBI seeks to hold accountable those responsible for these serious lapses in oversight and patient care.

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