The Faridpur Medical College Hospital authorities have been accused of gross corruption in the procurement of medical machinery and materials, including buying a piece of curtain used as a bed screen for Tk. 37.50 lakh. The Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) has found that the hospital submitted inflated bills to the tune of Tk. 41 crore for buying separate instruments that include oxygen generating plant, vacuum machine, blood pressure digital machine and curtains.

According to a DHS report, the hospital authorities submitted a bill of Tk. 52.66 crore for buying several machines, whose actual cost was only Tk. 11 crore.

The report said the hospital authorities had shown the price of a bed screen used in the ICU as Tk. 37.50 lakh, an oxygen generating plant for Tk. 5.27 crore, a vacuum plant for Tk. 87.75 lakh, a BAEES monitoring plant for Tk. 23.75 lakh, three digital blood pressure machines for Tk. 30.57 lakh and a head cardiac stethoscope for Tk. 1.12 lakh.

On August 20, the High Court (HC) had directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate the alleged corruption in Faridpur Medical College Hospital and submit a report within six months.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the order in response to a writ petition filed by MS Onik Traders against DHS for withholding a payment of Tk 10 crore.

DHS had withheld the amount last year for MS Onik Traders’ alleged corruption in buying the medical instruments for the hospital.

After scrutinising the documents submitted by DHS and MS Onik Traders, the HC bench had found gross anomalies and directed the ACC to launch an investigation.

Deputy attorney general Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar told The Independent that the Faridpur Medical College Hospital authorities had reported unbelievable costs in buying medical instruments.

Later, DHS found the involvement of some top hospital officials in committing corruption with the cooperation of tender institution MS Onik Traders.

After completion of the investigation in the matter, tough action will be taken against the offenders as the government declared zero tolerance against the corruption, Bashar said.

DHS will also take departmental action against the offenders, he added.