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| SKIMS: Hospital or money making machine? | | As patients suffer for thermometers, Zarger makes a fortune | | early times report
Srinagar, Apr 1: Dr Showkat Zarger who heads the SKIMS has turned the ‘prestigious’ hospital into a money making machine. The fortune he has amassed has turned him lavish and arrogant. He stays in seven star hotels in Indian metros, calls 5000 employees of the SKIMS ‘useless’ and ‘thieves’, signs purchase orders himself without issuing tenders, diverts funds raised for cancer patients to an NGO, promotes nepotism and encourages private practice by the SKIMS doctors although government has banned it. In July 2011, he managed to select his son (Dr. Abid, an average student) for DM Gastroenterology, through Dr. Darzi (the then Dean). Dr Darzi was given two year extension after his retirement on 31/12/2011 as reward. Zarger makes purchases worth 4 crores every month, which is beyond his competence. Every week he holds Purchase Sub committee meetings to push his personal interests. The Materials Management Staff are frustrated.
He has been involved in purchase of equipment for SKIMS for 5 years. During this period he used to spend all weekends outside India and in metros of India in 5 star hotels on company expenses. In turn second hand equipment was purchased at the cost paid for brand new machines. He is directly in touch with the suppliers and holds private meeting with them in his office for obvious reasons. All the purchases made by him are sub-standard. Linear Accelerator (18 crore rupees), Brachytherapy, Oxygen Plant (1.5 crores), Heating System for Director’s Office, milk for kitchen, Operating Tables, Imipenum & other drugs, Operating Lights/Tables, XRay films, Furniture, operating microscope, to name a few. All the listed items are not functioning well. Furniture was recently purchased (from a close friend of Dr. Showket) without any requisition from users and without tendering process. He regularizes all wrong purchases made by JVC Medical College authorities. He signs purchase orders himself making the Materials Management Department defunct. Tenders are sold and received by Dr. Showkat himself. He has ‘over-centralized’ everything so that all suppliers and contractors interact directly with him for obvious reasons. Corruption is thus flourishing by leaps and bounds. Dr Showkat is dependent on corrupt people because of whom he is surviving. Most important group that supports him is Private Practitioners. Almost 80 % doctors of SKIMS are indulging in Private Practice and at the same time draw Non Practicing Allowance under the patronage of Director Dr. Showkat.
Private practitioners loot SKIMS and indulge in malpractice. They have roaring practice outside at the cost of SKIMS. Prominent among them is Dr. Saleem Wani (brother of Director Codes Mr. Ishaq wani who helps Director Skims to get all illegal purchases regualarised for making his brother as HOD Urology), Dr. Pervez Kaul (whose brother is SP Vigilance always saving Dr. Showkat), etc. Prof. Baldev Singh a senior professor was humiliated by removing him as prof & Patients are suffering for want of small things. There are NO essential Drugs & Supplies available in the hospital. There are no Gloves, Blood Pressure Machines, Thermometers, X Ray Films, CT Scan Films, Anesthetic Drugs, Anticancer Drugs, Instruments, Inj Heparin, Antibiotics, Sprit, Savlon, sanitary items for cleaning, life saving drugs, syringes, chamber sets, soap, etc. Patients have to buy everything except glucose from the market. He reemployed Mahjabeen Banday as Registrar Acad (Consultant) after her retirement though Chief Secretary reluctantly agreed to her reemployment as Assistant. But Dr. Showkat violated the orders. He reemployed Samina Mufti as Sr. Resident, community medicine to please Dr. Showkat Mufti Secretary of Faculty Association. He reemployed Dr. Darzi in Plastic surgery. Zarger worked in Saudia Arabia for 7 years. He was terminated from SKIMS but destroyed all evidence about his termination during Dr. Mehraj Deen’s time (who is his uncle). His termination order was approved by H.E. the Governor himself in 1993-94. Earns good amount through purchases at Cancer Society of Kashmir. Spends SKIMS time at Cancer Society for the last 7 years. He collects money for giving free medicine to cancer patients at SKIMS and diverts it to Cancer Society of Kashmir. Dr. Showkat forged Governing Body minutes to confirm himself as Director. He is linked to some multinational companies for monetary benefit. He stays in 7-star hotels in Indian metros & company pays Rs 25000/day as rent alone. His Private Clinic was raided three times by vigilance organization in 2010. The then Director (Prof A H Zargar) called explanations from him He continues to practice after becoming director SKIMS. Dr Showkat manhandled Minister of Science & Technology on 26/7/2011
Patient Story
A patient was admitted in ward 5 P also known as Cancer Ward. Coincidently another relative was admitted in ward 2A neurosurgery ward. Story is same. For the last one year there are no Blood Pressure machines, thermometer, and pain killer drugs in the ward. Junior Doctors borrow BP machine from other ward once in a week. Nobody checks the fever. Nursing is worst on earth. They enjoy whole day in gossip. They are busy in purchasing things for their homes within wards where Agents sell things of all kinds be it kitchenware, readymade garments, cosmetics and everything else. Agents move freely everywhere in hospital building. There is darkness in rooms, no light in bath rooms. Leakages in bathrooms everywhere, broken toilets, broken sinks, broken tiles. Hand washing is a dream. Hot water is a luxury and should not be mentioned here. Patients have to buy everything except glucose. Can you ask some philanthropic organizations to donate BP machines, thermo-meters, soap, lifesaving drugs to SKIMS. When in the evening patients and their relatives get time to discuss the patient care of SKIMS, we are told that Director is always busy in politics and buying expensive machines worth crores to earn commission. Why should they buy BP machine or thermometer or oxygen machine (nebulizer) for desperate patients. Director himself indulges in private practice in the evening and early morning at his residence. Who cares? He continues to patronize Private Practice which is in full bloom since he took over.
Kidney Transplant
Last week one patient was operated by a Urologist for kidney transplant. A local newspaper published this so called success story (news) on frontpage without ascertaining the facts, just to please Dr. Showkat & Dr. Salim Wani. Only eye wash... Patient developed complications while on operation table and died within 2 days because of negligence.
Purchase of Furniture
Purchases of 100 benches made at exorbitant prices. Each Bench purchased for 11500 rupees. Requi-sition was made by Purchase Officer I Ajaz Mustafa, Material Mana-gement Officer who also happens to be the pur-chase officer for the ent-ire hospital. However, he was bypassed According to Mustafa, the furniture was purchased from M/S Ess Que Furn-iture Wor-ks Hawal, Sri-nagar. The owner of the Firm is per-sonal friend of Director SKIMS (Dr. Showkat). NO tendering done, no adminis-trative app-roval and no codal form-alities followed.
Purchase of Oxygen
Plant Following facts reveal a lot about gross irregularities in the purchase of plant: Order was placed for V2 Mod-el but the supplier che-ated by giving V3 model instead Inspection Com-mittee out rightly reje-cted the supplies and reported it as cheating. However, after rejection, supplies were accepted Later the reports were manipulated to accom-modate the Supplier. Not only was a different model was accepted, they have invited tailor made tenders to buy 2 more Plants at a cost of 3 crore rupees from the same supplier
Following facts merit a thorough probe
During 2009, Rupees 9 Crore were earmarked for purchase of equip-ment. During 2011, case for purchase of Linear Accelerator was proces-sed. There was no Requis-ition from the User Depar-tment. If the first Linear Accelerator did not function after its purc-hase, what was the need for buying second one. The Equipment costs around 17 crores to SKIMS. Who approved the enhancement of cost from 9 crores to 17 crores?
There is no admini-strative approval of the Competent Authority (Hon’ble.CM) as it invo-lves more than 5 crore rupees.There is No Technical Sanction. Who selected the Experts and what was the criterion for such selection ? One of the expert’s son is the Supplier of the equip-ment. How did Purchase Committee approve the purc-hase with all the flaws? |
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