CBI carries out searches in BEL hospital

New Delhi: The CBI has conducted searches at three locations in Bengaluru in connection with its case pertaining to the alleged misappropriation of over Rs 44 lakh by an employee of  BEL hospital in collusion with Apollo Pharmacy of Apollo Hospital Enterprises Limited.

According to sources, the searches took place at the residence and office of B.R. Raghu, a pharmacist with BEL hospital in connection with the case.

The Bengaluru unit of the CBI had registered a case against Raghu, Apollo Pharmacy of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd represented by its director and other unidentified staff of BEL hospital on December 8.

“It is gathered that an amount of Rs 4.86 lakh has been allowed to be misappropriated by the accused officials of the BEL in connivance with Apollo Pharmacy (Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd Bangalore) during July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2016,” alleged the FIR of the agency.

It also stated that the BEL, a PSU, suffered an undue pecuniary loss on account of payments made to the Apollo Pharmacy against fabricated entries in the Acute Cell Module to the tune of Rs 44.86 lakh.

According to the laid down procedure, in case the prescribed medicine is not available with the hospital it is sourced from authorised Apollo Pharmacy and given to patients, the FIR said.

The list of medicines is signed by the chief medical officer and on receipt the same is taken on the stock by entering into the system, it said.

The agency found several anomalies that male hormonal injections were billed against female dependants of beneficiaries, anti-cancer drugs were billed against children of patients who did not have any such medical history, high-value drugs for kidney, cancer, leukemia and many more were put in accounts of employees during their retirement month, sources said.