Central hospitals under scanner over corruption: Health minister Harsh Vardhan

New Delhi: Under attack for removing whistleblower IFS officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi as AIIMS Chief Vigilance Officer, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said various forms of corruption exist in central hospitals and efforts are on to end the "systemic and symptomatic" corruption.

Defending Chaturvedi's removal, Vardhan said his designation as the CVO was opposed by the Central Vigilance Commission in 2012 and 2013.

And by removing him "I therefore did my bit to restore the image of the CVC," he said in a statement on Saturday.

The Minister said he was aware as a doctor that corruption exists in hospitals, from allocation of beds to kickbacks from suppliers.

"In my first 90 days in office, hardly a day has passed without inquiring into the transparency of the ministry and its outposts. Very soon the results are going to be in the public domain," he said.

The statement further said that Vardhan has placed all systems in the central hospitals, including AIIMS, "under critical review to end systemic and symptomatic corruption".

"If money is made in the allocation of beds or as kickbacks from suppliers, it is sleaze," he said, adding that what is equally corrupt is the silent practise of reserving beds and facilities for employees or VIPs.

Vardhan, while regretting that a political slant was given to the "re-profiling" of Chaturvedi's job, said, "he has neither been suspended, nor transferred".

The Health Minister claimed that Chaturvedi's appointment as the CVO, by disregarding the CVC's directives, was "part of a design to weaken the institution".

The previous UPA government and AIIMS had defended the appointment, saying AIIMS was an autonomous body and the CVC's nod for it was not necessary.

Chaturvedi's sympathisers, including AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, have alleged he was removed due to "political pressure" and CVC had been communicating with him as AIIMS CVO so long as he was there.