Imposters rule the roost, Health Dept in the red

IMPOSTERS ARE having gala time in the Health Department these days. After grabbing various posts on the basis of forged appointment letters, they are enjoying all facilities including salary and perks as drawn by genuine employees.

Health Department has already paid Rs 5 lakh salary to 58 pharmacists and 78 laboratory technicians, all fake employees. Auditors have detected the fraud and sought explanation from the Health Department bosses.

“We have already instituted an inquiry and as the investigation continues, the number of such imposters are increasing”, a Health Department officer said and added that senior Health Department officials are involved in the racket.

Meanwhile, identification of fake employees is becoming a Herculean task for Health Department officials. The department does not have record of para-medical staff working in various districts.

Director Para-Medical has called a meeting of Additional Director (AD) Medical Health posted at divisional headquarters on July 8. The ADs have been directed to come with details of all para-medical staff. “This will help us to weed out imposters”, said a Health Department officer.

Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) deputed in districts are appointment authorities of the para-medical staff. The racket runs like a well-oiled machine. Usually, the imposters submit fake selection or transfer letter in the CMO office.

The CMO sends the letter to Health Directorate for verification. It’s not a big task for imposters and with the assistant of the brokers active in the department, they get genuine stamp of the officer on the letter. Sometimes a deal is brokered at the CMO level and without verification the imposter gets the chair.

Few months’ back a racket of fake doctor was uncovered in the department. The doctors were not posted at the primary health centers, community health centers or district hospitals, still they were drawing salary from the state treasury.

When the doctors and para-medical staff senses that his game is over and he will be caught any moment, they just vanish. When the records are checked then it is found that their name as well as address was wrong.