Laboratory disempanelled too | 12 arrests made so far in case

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 22

The Union Ministry of Defence has dis-empanelled seven hospitals and a lab of Amritsar for their alleged involvement in the Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) scam, wherein huge amounts of government funds were bungled by claiming fake medical bills.

What Army probe suggested

• Army authorities found that several veterans misled genuine ECHS beneficiaries and collected their cards
• In connivance with hospital managements and doctors, records were fabricated to usurp claim funds from the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare
• On the basis of an inquiry by the Army, an FIR was lodged against 24 persons on October 2

The hospitals and the lab named by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare in a notification dated June 18, 2021, include Verma Hospital, Meerankot chowk; Neelkanth Hospital, Fatehgarh Churian Road; Life Kare Hospital, Nirankari Colony, Fatehgarh Churian Road; Gupta Multi-specialty Hospital, Race Course Road; Akashdeep Neuro Trauma and Multi SS Hospital; Madaan Hospital (Multi-specialty) Majitha Road; and Nijjar Scan and Diagnostic Centre, Court Road.

Sandeep Malik, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, had been holding an investigation into the case. “At least 12 arrests have been made so far. Others who evaded arrest had managed to procure interim bail from the High Court, but they have been asked to join the investigation. We are also awaiting some forensic records pertaining to the case,” he said.

Gurmeet Singh Bablu, president of the Shaheed-e-Azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Youth Front, alleged that the police gave immunity to various doctors and hospitals from the FIR without involving the Army authorities. He demanded a CBI or at least a vigilance probe into the case. “Why were the police taking the Army probe leniently? I shot a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister with copies to the Punjab DGP and Bureau of Investigations as the city police acted in a biased manner while investigating the case,” he said.Army authorities found that several veterans misled genuine ECHS beneficiaries and collected their cards. Later, in connivance with the hospital managements and doctors, records were fabricated to usurp claim funds from the Department of Ex-servicemen Welfare.

A 204-page Army inquiry report was submitted to the Cantonment police by Brig MD Upadhyay, Station Commander, Station Headquarters, Amritsar Cantonment. Following this, an FIR was lodged against 24 persons, including owners, managing directors and doctors of six private hospitals on October 2.

Brig Upadhyay, in his complaint to the police, alleged that hospitals had made false admissions with an intention of fraud with the cardholders “without providing them the services that are as per the files of the hospitals”. Also, the cardholders were kept in the hospitals “for a few days” even when the records suggest they stayed longer.