Kozhikode: It has now come to light that the corrupt officials of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) had forged fictitious purchase agreements and pocketed crores of rupees from the State exchequer in the name of buying medicines and equipment from manufacturers.
The medicine manufacturing companies did not have any knowledge about this purchase made under the garb of dealing with the emergency COVID-19 situation.
The bogus documents were created to show that the KMSCL had purchased medical equipment and medicines to the tune of crores of rupees from these companies.
The KMSCL had entered into purchase with a total of 224 companies till August 2021. It was alleged that 80 percent of the companies, which supplied N-95 masks and PPE kits, were not genuine companies. But some purchases were made from reputed companies so as to give the list an authentic look.
GLOVE PURCHASE THROUGH VEGETABLE SUPPLY FIRM
Even the office of the Kazhakootam-based company which imported Rs.12.15 crore worth gloves from Britain remains functionless now. The office as given in the official address does not exist now.
As per the registration details, the company was set up in 2021. The company was found to have received permission for the sale of fruits and vegetables along with the sale of medical and surgical equipment as per the registration records.
The website of the company is also found defunct. The company owner said that the website has been made inactive. He said he didn't want to say anything about the deals entered into with the corporation.
BOGUS 'PURCHASE' OF PPE KITS
There are records available in the company of a purchase of PPE kits worth Rs.1.52 crore from Maharashtra's Bio Link India Limited.
But the company officials made it clear that they did not sell PPE kits to the KMSCL and what they sold to the corporation was some other equipment. So, it has now turned out to be a bogus purchase.
THERMOMETERS PURCHASED FROM GLOVES FACTORY
There are also documents that Rs.10 lakh worth infrared thermometers were bought from a glove manufacturing company in Ernakulam. But the fact is that not a single thermometer was manufactured in this gloves-making unit.
HEMOPHILIA MEDICINE BOUGHT FROM STENT COMPANY
As per the KMSCL records, it bought a good stock of hemophilia medicine, Factor-VIII, from Anantha Surgicals for an amount of Rs.2411,474. Ironically, this company is not distributing this medicine for hemophilia.
Ananth Surgicals manufactures stents used for heart surgery and equipment for bone surgery. Moreover, Factor-VIII medicine has nothing to do with the treatment of COVID-19 disease.
NEPOTISM IN PURCHASE ALLEGED
Face shields worth Rs. 5.03 crore were brought from the Thrissur-based Andria Traders, a company which was set up after the outbreak of COVID-19.
The company is owned by a contract worker at the National Health Mission, who is a close friend of the former General Manager of the KMSCL.
