KGMU to file FIR against 4 employees over Rs 2.5 crore medicine procurement irregularities

Lucknow: King George’s Medical University (KGMU) will file an FIR against four employees after a probe found alleged irregularities worth around Rs 2.5 crore in medicines procurement under the Asadhya Yojana. The scheme provides free treatment to poor patients with chronic diseases.A five-member inquiry committee found irregularities in the urology department and recommended action against one regular pharmacist and three contractual employees.KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said the FIR will be registered on Tuesday.The matter came to light after officials noticed a sharp rise in medicine expenditure, which jumped from Rs 10 lakh a month to Rs 40 lakh in Feb and Rs 45 lakh in March, triggering an audit that revealed discrepancies.KGMU stopped payments for medicines under scrutiny and constituted a committee on the directions of vice-chancellor Prof Soniya Nityanand.The panel examined patient records, distribution registers and payment data. It found that medicines were shown as consumed beyond the prescribed dosage.In several cases, an injectable drug meant to be administered once every six months was shown as administered four to five times in a month. Each injection costs between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000.It also found cases where medicines were shown as administered without the patient being admitted. This raised suspicion of misuse of govt funds.The inquiry flagged violations of drug management procedures. A contractual employee handled the ordering and receipt of medicines, violating the rule that assigns authorised nursing staff to perform this task.The committee suspects that these medicines may have been diverted and is examining where the drugs were disposed of. The panel recommended criminal proceedings against the four employees.