Not Chief Medical Officer Poonch, but powerful lower-rung employees are running the health department by hitting big financial shots; Health department Poonch becomes a toll plaza centre

Not Chief Medical Officer Poonch, but powerful lower-rung employees are running the health department by hitting big financial shots; Health department Poonch becomes a toll plaza centre

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: The health minister of J&K has, a number of times, said that the healthcare system in entire J&K is robust and all-out efforts have been made to strengthen the system on the ground, but the health department of Poonch has other things to say, as some powerful lower-rung employees are running the department behind the curtains and used to commit big financial frauds in several lakhs to crores.

The Chief Medical Officer Poonch, who reportedly has the backing of the health minister, has no control, as the department is running through these powerful and blue-eyed lower-rung employees. Those posted in other sections have been working in the CMO office. Sources in the department told “POONCH TODAY” that experienced and dedicated officials were sidelined, and tainted ones have been given important chairs to ensure that the share from different schemes reaches the bosses on time. Some employees who joined the department at one place have spent their whole service on the same post, and it shows that the experienced employees have no takers in the department, while those expert in scripting fudged bills get important posts to feed top bosses also. On the other hand, the operation theatre has also become a toll plaza where every poor patient has to grease the palms of some employees, including a tainted doctor who often remains in the news on account of his bad conduct with patients and staff posted in the operation theatre. Those holding important posts in the department from block to district level looted money in several crores over the years with the full backing of successive CMOs, BMOs and medical superintendents. One more unhealthy practice which is going on in the department is that to hide the frauds of the department, the top officials of the department regularly face media fraternity members in offices, and the said officials used to give them regular favours for not highlighting any weakness of the department. As per the report of an intelligence agency, some media persons from within and outside the district used to visit the office of the CMO and medical superintendents on a regular basis to get their share, in which some employees of the health department are involved as they manage regular visits of several media fraternity members. Moreover, to settle their internal rivalries, many employees used to leak internal information of the department to various media persons who cannot even write their names properly but have come in the field to get regular favours from officers by working as their touts. In the name of GEM purchasing, various frauds have been scripted in the department, which runs from several lacs to crores, in which some tainted and blue-eyed officials were involved. Earlier, a former medical superintendent on the eve of transfer to another district, with the help of a blue-eyed employee, withdrew several lakhs through fudge bills in no time. It shows that the practice of earning illegal money from different schemes has remained the main motto of tainted officials of the department, including powerful lower-rung employees who have not been shifted for long. Whereas those officials who are known for their work culture have been sidelined, and those known for hitting the financial deals have been given everything. A few days back, the director of health services visited the Poonch district and, on camera, appreciated the efforts of the department under the back channel compulsion, but the sources inside the department told “POONCH TODAY” that the director was fully aware of various loopholes in the department, but the said officer was taken into confidence well in time through a third powerful party from the top to say positive things about the department. “POONCH TODAY” is in possession of various GEM purchasing documents which show that huge blow was given to the government exchequer. Items claimed to be purchased on paper are not existing on the ground. On paper, the department purchased huge amounts of medicine in crores, but their whereabouts are not known, as these powerful lower-rung employees played a mischievous role in such open frauds. The list of frauds in the department scripted by the top chairs is endless, and only a high-level enquiry could bring some facts into the public domain. Those top officials who have played a mischievous role over the years by murdering the government funds under various schemes need to be brought to justice to end this hidden mafia rule in the department which is meant to provide efficient health services to the patients. The poor state of affairs in the department is that after the retirement of a senior eye specialist, the government has failed to post an eye specialist in the Poonch district for long, as there are thousands of eye patients in the district who have become a target of Kashmir-based doctors through their agents operating in the Poonch district to run after their bread and butter in a handsome manner. Will the J&K government rise from its slumber over the horrible state of affairs in the health department of Poonch?