Kolkata: Condom scam unearthed in state

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Condom scam unearthed in state

Health dept finds NGOs supplied spurious condoms to high-risk groups

and claimed money from the state government by showing inflated bills

Ravik Bhattacharya

Kolkata, october 8: The lid was opened from a shocking scam involving NGOs

working for prevention of HIV after the state government recently found that the

former had made money by supplying rejected condoms to high-risk groups,

including sex workers, truckers and men who have sex with men (MSMs).

An investigation by the state government has revealed that the NGOs

supposed to distribute condoms among the high-risk groups are not

only buying spurious condoms, but also sending inflated bills to the

government and claiming money.

The gross malpractice for the past two years was discovered by the

Health department a few months back during the tenure of S. Suresh

Kumar, who was the then director of West Bengal State HIV AIDS

Prevention and Control Society. Soon after, Kumar launched an

investigation.

However, even after unearthing the scam, the department is yet to

concentrate on central procurement of condoms and medicines.

" The condoms we found were repackaged ones with no quality standards.

They were made illegally at Bagri market. The NGOs bought them in

bulk and distributed them, " said Kumar, currently working with

National AIDS Control Organisation in Delhi.

" A section of NGOs usurped lakhs by distributing false medicines and

rejected condoms, which is unpardonable. You cannot play with

people's lives, since condom distribution and medicine supply for

patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are the mainstay in

our fight against HIV-AIDS. After the NGOs were caught, the central

procurement system was put in place, but recently they are trying to

discontinue it. We are all for central procurement by the

government, " said Debapriya Mullick, adviser, NGO-AIDS Coalition, a

private body which keeps the liaison between the NGOs and the

government.

According to Health department sources, the samples of condoms

distributed among sex workers and truckers in different parts of the

state were collected and sent for tests in a laboratory in Chennai.

They were found to be rejected and sub-standard.

Sex workers in red-light areas across the state, and truckers on the

highways were given such condoms, which were duplicates of foreign

brands. During investigation, it was also revealed that such condoms

had a clandestine manufacturing unit-cum-market in Bagri area of

Burrabazar, where foreign labels were pasted on the packets. The NGOs made bulk

purchases from this market.

" These condoms had pictures of nude women on the covers, with the

labels announcing that they were foreign made. These were very cheap

compared to the authentic ones. Each NGO forwarded bills worth lakhs

for such condoms, " said a highly placed officer in the West Bengal

State HIV-AIDS Control Society.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=204505

_____________________

" Dr. Avnish Jolly "

e-mail: <avnishjolly@...>