Extracts of the John Michael D’Cunha Commission report that probed alleged irregularities during the pandemic in Karnataka, show that the National Health Mission (NHM) did not spend over ₹324 crore of the funds released by the Union and State governments to fight COVID-19.
The records show that the NHM received a total of ₹1,747.42 crore of which it spent only ₹1,422.9 crore, thereby leaving ₹324.52 crore unspent.
Without approval
The commission also said that the State government paid ₹6.93 crore to 14 private labs for RT-PCR tests, none of which were approved by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR).
Further, the report says that based on the ICMR’s list of approved hospitals and laboratories for RT-PCR testing, the Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, ordered for samples to be sent to six private labs without entering into an agreement with any of them, so as to hold them to the agreed rates for the tests. A total of ₹4.28 crore was paid to these six labs.
The commission has recommended an inquiry led by Chief Secretary of the State into these lapses.
Published – November 12, 2024 10:00 pm IST
