Government fails to investigate multiple financial scams in health department Poonch; Top officials under scanner; brazen fraud in NHM schemes reported

Government fails to investigate multiple financial scams in health department Poonch; Top officials under scanner; brazen fraud in NHM schemes reported

POONCH TODAY NEWS

POONCH: Alone in the last six to seven years, brazen misuse of government funds under different schemes has taken place in the health department in Poonch district, right from block level to district headquarter. NHM has become a money-making machine for the tainted officials, as insiders in the health department, pleading anonymity, said, “Frauds have become a daily routine in the department.

Top officials are earning heavy commissions directly from companies after purchasing a large number of items on paper to show that hospital authorities are doing their best to strengthen the infrastructure. The passing of bills for questionable activities has become a routine affair as tainted officials who are holding important positions in the department are hitting the bull’s eye financially.” It is important to mention here that the top officials of the health department in Poonch were awarded at the UT and district levels for showing 100% performance in achieving the target of golden card making and distribution, but a large number of people in the Poonch district are still without golden cards. A large number of blunders have become the order of the day in the health department. Whether attaching blue-eyed lower rung staff members or scripting various financial scams, right from the offices of BMOs to Medical superintendents to the office of CMO Poonch, top health officials have made a mockery of the system. NHM and the purchasing scam have hit hard on the foundation of the reputation of the health department in Poonch. Some well-known touts in the health department, who have direct links with the director’s and commissioner’s offices, used to play a silent role in the transfer of illegal funds, employees, and other related activities.  A few officials were never seen attending their duties, but they are being given a regular two and a half-day salary. These blue-eyed officials are working as sources for the Medical Superintendent, BMOs, and CMO offices. Sources also said that under every important chair lies a big financial scam. Sources also said that the issue of encroachment on the land of Raja Sukhdev Singh has been thrown under the carpet as those who were directly affected by the orders of the revenue department reportedly played hand-in-glove activities behind the curtains, and the drive to retrieve the huge chunk of hospital land has been stopped, thereby raising a big question mark on the intention of the administration. It’s a big question mark on the offices of the Commissioner/Secretary of Health and Director of Health Services, who have maintained a questionable silence on the brazen financial frauds in the department. In NHM financial scams under various schemes, such as purchasing scams, NHM recruitment scams, or many other scams, tainted officials have enjoyed their misuse of power without any action from the government. This shows that top officials of the health department who were and are involved in brazen unethical practices have maintained relations with every important office, and this is the reason that nobody is ready to take action against them. Whether it is the attachment of favourite employees, vehicles attached under NHM, illegal practices being followed in the office of CMO Poonch and Medical Superintendents, BMOs, or other fake achievements on paper, the health department has deviated from its original path of providing good services to the people. Despite various platforms exposing various loopholes in the health department in Poonch, the district administration has failed to take action on reported matters of various inefficiencies; instead, those involved in various frauds were awarded time and again, possibly due to political interference. Right now, the tainted officials are earning heavily from ensuring the purchase of items. As the flow of funds under NHM is huge, the concerned are taking undue advantage of the leniency of the government and are using it to indulge in scripting various financial deals. The horrible state of affairs shows that tainted officials are ruling the department by all means, and in all the financial frauds, NHM tops the list. To date, the government has failed to investigate multiple financial and NHM recruitment scams in the health department in Poonch, for reasons best known to those sitting at the helm of affairs. A few days ago, the Director of Health Services Jammu also visited Poonch to inquire about the services being offered to the people but remained mum on financial frauds. Who will initiate an inquiry into the brazen misuse of government funds by the tainted officials of the health department in Poonch? It’s a big question that needs to be addressed by the government.