The Telangana State Medical Health department has unearthed more corruption and found inappropriate spending of Rs. 4.58 cores for buying poor quality medical cloths by officials in Telangana State Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC).

In relation to this, the state government has banned two organizations for supplying poor quality cloths at higher rates to government hospitals across the state.

According to sources in the health department, Rs. 4.58 crore have been spent inappropriately for procuring large stocks of medical cloths like white bed sheets, green cloth for surgery rooms, and blue colour cloths meant for dressing nurses and other medical professions in the government hospitals. Usually, the medical cloths and fabrics used in hospitals should be of higher quality. But the officials in connivance with the certain organizations have procured poor quality cloths for commissions.

Already the TSMSIDC has come under the scanner of the state government for earlier issue of procuring excess medicines even without any demand from the government hospitals in the districts. Taking stock of the earlier situation, investigation by higher officials of the health department has dug up more corruption and has come out with new issue of excess procurement of medical cloths. Usually, the district level hospital sends their demand for various products like medicines, medical devices and medical cloths to the TSMSIDC on quarterly basis.

According to regulations, the TSMSIDC should not spend more that Rs. 21 lakhs till third quarter of the financial year. Out of Rs. 84 lakhs sanctioned for the year 2014-15, the TSMSIDC officials have already spent Rs. 64 lakhs for the third quarter. This is more than 3 times excess spending by the officials.

Since long, activities of a few officials in TSMSIDC are viewed with suspicion. As there is no transparency in the procurement procedures, certain elements have taken it as a pretext to carry on their corrupt practices.

Recently procurement officials have bought poor quality medical cloths worth of Rs. 79 lakhs without the knowledge of managing director and the same stocks were sent to district hospitals in Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Warangal, Khammam and Karimnagar. The hospital authorities were stunned to receive excess stocks without their request and have asked the TSMSIDC to take back the stocks as there is already excess stock at the government hospitals.

 “A few officials in the procurement department of the TSMSIDC are habituated to illegal commissions from the pharma and garment supplying companies. They have even resorted to forging signature of the managing director of TSMSIDC for procuring excess stocks without his knowledge. We have banned two organizations for supplying poor medical cloths to the government hospitals. An investigation is under way to unearth the corrupt activities in the TSMSID,” informed a source in the health department.