Vigilance raids reveal several discrepancies in Kerala Veterinary Hospitals
The Vigilance department launched 'Operation Vet Scan' on Thursday (Dec 7) and conducted flash raids at several veterinary hospitals in Kerala. In the raids, the officials found several irregularities across hospitals in the state.
FollowThiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance department launched 'Operation Vet Scan' on Thursday (Dec 7) and conducted flash raids at several veterinary hospitals in Kerala. The raid began at 11 am found widespread irregularities in the veterinary hospitals. The investigation revealed that doctors in some veterinary hospitals were buying medicines and vaccines at low prices from private medical stores and selling them at higher prices through veterinary hospitals.
Additionally, some doctors are accused of running private practices during official duty hours. Furthermore, there are allegations that doctors falsely document dispensing government-supplied medicines and vaccines while simultaneously conducting private practices, receiving payments for both. It has been found that most of the veterinary hospitals do not keep the medicines as per the stock register and some hospitals also keep expired medicines.
Investigation results revealed that certain officials purchase medication from outside sources and resell it through hospitals. Additionally, the addresses of many of the patients are not recorded in the registrations (i.e., vaccination, medicine supply, etc.) that are required to be kept for the supply of medication in many veterinary hospitals. It was found that the medicine in stock at Alakkot Veterinary Hospital in Kannur district was bought from outside by the farmer at a high price, and the medicines that are not in the stock register of Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district were bought from outside and sold at a higher price.
Vakkam Veterinary Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram district has procured and stored medicines that the government does not distribute. Koduvalli Veterinary Hospital in Kozhikode district is distributing 65 types of medicines without being included in the stock register. Though the stock register showed that the medicine was purchased from a private pharmacy at Muthuvallur in Malappuram district, the medicine was not purchased.
Vigilance also found that the medicines bought from Neethi Store in North Paravur in Ernakulam district were kept without registering in the stock and without a bill. Medicines purchased from private pharmacies at Pulpally in Wayanad district, Kundamangalam in Kozhikode district, Anchal in Kollam district, Peruvanthanam in Idukki district, Pala Poly Clinic in Kottayam district, Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district and Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district were stored in the doctor's room and other officials' rooms.
It was also found that no post-mortem register was recorded in the attic of Kottayam district after October 1999 and that the registers were not properly maintained at Nooranad in Alappuzha district and in Kalady, Muvattupuzha and North Paravur in Ernakulam district.
Vigilance also found that there was a discrepancy between the vaccination register and the vaccination stock register at Kanakkari in Kottayam district. Kadavathur, Thripangottur in Kannur district, Uduma, Kuttikol in Kasaragod district, Kozhikode district veterinary center, Thirunavaya in Malappuram district, Perumkadavila in Thiruvananthapuram district, Mullaringadu in Idukki district, Mulakulam in Kottayam district, Kanakkari, Alappuzha District Veterinary Hospital, Kaladi in Ernakulam district, Mudalamada and Kozhinjampara in Palakkad district, the vigilance has found that some officers are going out without taking proper leave, not recording their attendance, and not recording information in the movement register when they go out.
Expired medicines were stored in Kunnunkulam in Thrissur district, Alakot in North Kannur district in Ernakulam district, Meenangadi in Wayanad district, Kundamangalam in Kozhikode district, Manjeri Poly Clinic in Malappuram district, Kottarakkara and Pala Poly Clinic in Kottayam district, Nooranad in Alappuzha district, Cherthala South, District Veterinary Hospital, Kaladi, Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district, Edappally, Mudalamada, District Veterinary Hospital in Palakkad district.
Investigations revealed that an attendant at Kozhinjampara in the Palakkad district had embezzled Rs 8,280; five officials at Mamangalam in the Thrissur district had embezzled Rs 19,271; and an official at the Kollam District Veterinary Centre had embezzled Rs 7,871; all of these amounts were unaccounted for.Â
