Rourkela: Newly-appointed medical superintendent and acting director of Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH) here, Dr Ganesh Das has stopped payment to various agencies smelling corruption. These companies are involved in cleaning and maintenance of the RGH premises, providing fresh bedsheets and providing security.
Sources said that bills for the months of March and April furnished by these companies have been found ‘inflated’.
As a result, the bills have been put on hold. Five committees have been formed by Dr Das to look into the irregularities in the bill. Only after the bills are cleared by the panels, the dues will be cleared, sources informed. RGH is one of the premier government-run hospitals in Odisha. Not only are residents from the western part of Odisha dependent on it, the medical facility also caters to the needs of people from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In this situation, the hospital has turned into a breeding ground of rampant corruption, sources opined.
They added that Dr Das is trying his best to control corruption, but they are doubtful how long he can wage the battle against people who are influential and have connections. The committees formed March 28 have been asked to look into all aspects of the bills furnished by the companies including the use of manpower and the rate of products. “It is a difficult task no doubt, but to eradicate corruption we have to do it,” said a doctor in one of the committees. Dr Das meanwhile asserted that only after the approval of the committees, the pending bills will be cleared. RGH in the recent past has been involved in a number of controversies. A company providing ‘fake’ nurses to the hospital was busted a few months back. Then there was the controversy over the buying of an expensive laparoscopic machine at Rs 1.5 crore. Since its installation last year, the machine has rarely been used.
