Apollo Pharmacy misappropriation case: CBI carries out searches in Bengaluru's BEL hospital 

NEW DELHI: The CBI has carried out searches at three locations in Bengaluru in connection with alleged misappropriation of over Rs 44 lakh by an employee of BEL hospital in collusion with Apollo Pharmacy, a unit of the Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd.

CBI sources said that the searches were conducted at the residence and office of B R Raghu, a pharmacist with BEL hospital.

The central agency had registered a case against Raghu, Apollo Pharmacy of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd.

represented by its director and other unidentified staff of BEL hospital.

"It is gathered that an amount of Rs 44.86 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...," the agency FIR has alleged.

It also alleged that the BEL, a PSU under the defence ministry, suffered 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 so indented is signed by the chief medical officer or an authorised doctor and on receipt of the medicines the same is taken on stock by entering in the system, it said.

The agency found several anomalies like male hormonal injections were billed against female dependents 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, lukemia etc were put in accounts of employees during their retirement month.

The agency said it has gathered that high value drugs or special drugs are entered in "Acute Cell" module of HMS with code "ACC/FMC" even though there were no clinical history pertaining to those related ailments or no referral memos and supporting prescriptions.

"It is gathered that serious irregularities are being committed by the personnel posted in the medical department while making entries on HMS in the Acute Cell of BEL Hospital with regard to the medicines procured from Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd (Apollo Pharmacy)," it said.

Later in the evening, the Apollo Pharmacy issued a statement denying charges of collusion and corruption.

"We strongly deny any charge of collusion, corruption or act of commission in this case. We have complete faith that the matter has been adequately investigated internally by BEL and no wrongdoing found on our part. As longstanding partners of BEL, we will support any investigations that BEL or relevant agencies would like to undertake," it said in the statement.