Another Tk 20 cr swallowed

In its second such finding, the parliamentary committee on health has found massive corruption in procurement of medical and surgical equipment (MSR) by seven civil surgeons (CS) who are alleged to have misappropriated at least Tk 20 crore.

The CSs were in charge of procuring medical accessories and furniture and fittings for hospitals.

A three-member sub-committee headed by Tajul Islam Choudhury MP detected the irregularities. The committee found that civil surgeons of Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bagerhat, Jessore, Sherpur and officials of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) misappropriated the money over a period of five years.

"The investigation shows there were cases of gross misappropriation," said a Standing Committee source, giving details of a number of instances.

For example, in Pirojpur, the contractor who supplied the goods showed price of a two-inch ordinary leucoplast (bandage) Tk 534. Its retail market price is Tk 80.

In Barisal, cost of a compressor of an ordinary freezer was shown at Tk 17,000 instead of its market retail price (MRP) of Tk 5,000.

Tube lights were bought at Tk 650 apiece whereas its maximum retail price was Tk 100.

A 25-watt Tk 18-taka bulb was bought for Tk 650, while 100-watt bulbs were shown to have been purchased at Tk 1,400 each.

The Barisal civil surgeon also stockpiled huge quantity of injection that can be used for at least another 30 years, according to the committee.

In Bagerhat, a voucher for Tk 7,000 was produced for a Tk 450 tuning fork. A Tk 5,000 weighing machine was shown to cost Tk 3,500. A Tk 8,000 opthalmoscopy (eye investigation device) was bought for Tk 29,000, a Tk 80 bottle anti-mosquito spray (Mortein) was procured for Tk 1,650 while Tk 5000 steel racks were purchased at Tk 29,000 each.

In Jessore, a Tk 5,000 centrifugal machine was bought for Tk 27,000, a Tk 7,000 incubator for Tk 30,000. A Tk 6000 stabilizer was priced at Tk 16,500, a Tk 150 ECG paper roll at Tk 600 and an ordinary Tk 700 table lamp at Tk 6,400.

In Sherpur, the civil surgeon purchased three lakh disposable syringes each costing Tk 10 while those were available at Tk 2.20 each in the market.

At Chittagong Medical College Hospital, 6000 pieces of Tk 26 thread roll were purchased at the rate of Tk 160 each while a three-inch microphone cost Tk 11,050 against its market price of Tk 450.

The alleged corruption by the CSs dominated the proceedings of a two-hour standing committee meeting at the Sangsad Bhaban yesterday.

The committee had earlier detected corruption by six civil surgeons who were found to have pocketed Tk 20 crore.

The meeting decided that the six civil surgeons of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, and Munshiganj along with one deputy secretary and senior assistant secretary and other persons including concerned officials of the finance ministry would be suspended and departmental action would be taken. The meeting also decided that anti-corruption cases would also be initiated against the officials.

Action against the contractors who supplied goods would also be taken.

Meanwhile, the six CSs told the committee that they were willing to return the money they allegedly misappropriated.