Grant Medical College doctors misappropriate INR 5 crore funds over foreign trips, personal use

An investigation conducted by the state medical education department, which lasted four years, unveiled that the 11 department heads opened accounts in various banks on behalf of their departments and collected a sum of around INR 5 crore.

Nearly INR 5 Crore funds used misappropriately on foreign tours and personal expenses by eleven department heads of Grant Medical College in Mumbai. An investigation conducted by the state medical education department, which lasted four years, unveiled that the 11 department heads opened accounts in various banks on behalf of their departments and collected a sum of around INR 5 crore through various means such as commission from pharma companies.

The accounts were opened at State Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank and ICICI among others. Grant Medical College is affiliated to the JJ Group of Hospitals in the city.

Strict action to be taken in next one month

The state medical education minister Girish Mahajan told in the assembly that they sought clarification from all the department heads, who are senior doctors. Mahajan further added that they will take strict action against all those found guilty in the next one month.

The issue of misappropriation of funds by the department heads and spending them for personal use was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Sunil Prabhu

The probe was ordered in November 2019, following a complaint filed before the then public health secretary in August, 2018. Thirty-two various departments were investigated. It has come to light that 11 department heads had opened bank accounts in the name of their departments.

They then collected a sum of ₹5 crore in the form of commission from pharma companies, sponsorship and charging fees on registration of doctors. Around ₹2.75 crore was spent for procuring items for personal use and foreign trips, said Mahajan, according to HT report

“It is a serious offence as no permission was sought from the department. All this was done by them on their own. The accounts that were opened at nationalised and private banks have been seized and the remaining amount will be transferred to the state treasury. In the next one month, strict action will be taken against all the guilty,” Mahajan said in the lower House.

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