Irregularities at Kidwai: Karnataka Govt sets up three-member probe committee

The state government on Wednesday set up a three-member committee to investigate irregularities reported at the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. 

The committee will be headed by Dr Arundhathi Chandrasekhar, Commissioner of Treasuries. The other two members are Guruswamy, Additional Registrar of Cooperative Societies, and Mahadev, Additional Registrar at the Karnataka State Audit and Accounts Department and BBMP Additional Commissioner (Finance). 

The order stated that high consultation fees are being levied from patients, grants are being misused, and the institute's staff are colluding with private organisations causing financial loss. It also mentions the poor quality of treatment and shortage of medicines in the institute. 

The government has received many complaints about violations of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act in the procurement of medicine and other tenders by the institute. There are also complaints about the tender proceedings related to the hospital's recently introduced PET scan service and the system of conducting bone marrow transplants. 

Hence, the inquiry committee has to look into all these complaints and submit a report, the order read.