Nutrition stocks for HIV patients siphoned

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Nutrition stocks for HIV patients siphoned

Two suspended for scam at ART centre in Tiruchi

V Mayilvaganan | TNN

Tiruchi: Nutrition packs meant for people living with HIV/AIDS have allegedly

been siphoned off from an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre in a government

hospital here and sold to private shops, some of it as cattle fodder, according

to official sources.

A probe team from the district administration and the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control

Society (TANSACS) has submitted a report as part of an ongoing inquiry, pending

which a counsellor and a doctor have been suspended, the sources said.

“The allegation is being enquired into,” said TANSACS director Supriya Sahu. She

had issued orders suspending counsellor Sharmila and Dr Rani on Friday based on

the report.

The packs containing soya beans and grains are given as food supplements to

people living with HIV/AIDS undergoing anti-retroviral therapy at the ART centre

in the l Gandhi government hospital to strengthen their immune system.

Sources in the centre said the packs were stolen with possible help from

insiders. The packs stocked in the centre were moved out on four days — December

24, 25 and 26, 2007 and January 1, 2008, they said.

The ART centre has an allotment of around 3,000 kg of the nutrition packs a

month, and receives a consignment of 15,000 kg once every five months. These are

stocked in the centre and distributed on a monthly basis to nearly 1,500 people

who visit the centre for anti-retroviral therapy.

Exploiting the ignorance of some of those entitled to get the packs, a staff

member in the centre had obtained their signatures without actually giving it to

them.

The stocks thus retained were stealthily taken away from the centre and sold

outside, some of it as cattle fodder, health department sources said. In those

four days alone, more than 50 bags, each weighing 30 kg, could have been stolen,

though this could have been going on for long.

The staff of the ART centre allege that the finger of suspicion pointed towards

Sharmila, who claimed that she was acting under instruction from Rani, a doctor

in the centre. However, the doctor denied involvement.

The alleged fraud came to light when representatives of a network of HIV

positive people submitted a petition to the district administration.

Subsequently an enquiry was ordered by the district administration on June 10,

as well as TANSACS.

Since the records maintained in the ART centre show no discrepancy, apparently

due to signatures obtained from the recipients, the officials in TANSACS are

still looking for corroborative evidence.

MONEY PACKS

The nutrition packs were sold to private shops, some of it as cattle fodder A

probe team has submitted a report as part of an ongoing inquiry A counsellor and

a doctor have been suspended The packs were stolen with possible help from

insiders. The ART centre has an allotment of around 3,000 kg of the nutrition

packs a month, and receives a consignment of 15,000 kg once every five months.

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Dr. Sundar raman