NEW DELHI: An inquiry into allegations of funds collected from patients by the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences at the cardio-thoracic and neurosurgery centres has revealed that the collection was made as a "fixed package" for a specific surgery since 1999 and amounted to over Rs. 40 crore in March 2005.

The inquiry was conducted by the Director-General of Health Services and Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser to the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry following a police complaint by Abdul Mehmood in September.

The money is being kept in a separate fund not authorised by the governing Act of AIIMS.

The accumulated balance of Rs. 40 crore comprises amount liable to be refunded to those who overpaid or paid without subsequently undergoing the procedure or surgery. The Institute has not only been overcharging the patients, but also making a profit out of the patient's money by putting it in a fixed deposit not permissible under the rules.

Further, in violation of Sections 16 and 17 of the AIIMS Act, 1956, the amount collected is not controlled by the Institute. On the contrary, it is controlled and operated by the chief of the centre concerned.

The materials and consumables for procedures and surgeries are purchased from specific suppliers year after year without going through the standard tender procedure. This amounts to criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public money and tarnished the Institute's reputation, causing harassment and suffering to the patients.

No review

The Committee on Papers Laid on the Table of the Lok Sabha has said AIIMS did not maintain a reliable and comprehensive updated data on the ongoing research projects.

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