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Bengal orders FIRs over missing Covid-time equipment at 64 health centres
The government has also mandated direct salary deductions from negligent custodians to recover lost funds.
West Bengal orders FIRs over missing medical equipment at 64 state-run health facilities (File photo).
The West Bengal government recently issued strict instructions to district health authorities following reports of missing and stolen medical equipment across dozens of state-run health centres. All district chief medical officers of health (CMOH) have been instructed to file FIRs after officials claimed that medical equipment worth crores of rupees, procured with Central grant funds during Covid, went missing or was embezzled.
According to an official directive issued by the Health Department, essential items, including batteries, wire boxes, and critical machinery components, have gone missing from at least 64 public health facilities. The affected locations comprise 50 sub-centres (SCs), 13 block primary health units (BPHUs), and one primary health centre (PHC). The missing assets were procured under the 15th Finance Commission Health Grants (XV FC-HG) and delivered by the West Bengal Medical Services Corporation Limited (WBMSCL).
Department officials stated that the absence of these critical components has halted the installation and commissioning of necessary medical machinery across several facilities.
“Facility custodians must immediately file an FIR with local police authorities upon detecting any missing or stolen equipment. A full incident report including facility details, item descriptions, delivery dates, discovery dates, and designated custodian names must be submitted to the Health Department through the respective chief medical officer of health (CMOH),” read the order copy.
Facility-level investigations will be conducted to fix individual responsibility, and administrative proceedings will be initiated against custodians found negligent in their duties. The state government has also authorised direct financial penalties to recover lost public funds.
“Where permitted under service rules, the government will seek full recovery of the cost of lost or stolen items directly from the salary or remuneration of negligent personnel. District CMOHs have been instructed to pass these directives to all block medical officers of health (BMOHs), community health officers (CHOs), and facility heads for strict compliance, alongside maintaining rigorous stock and movement registers for all state-supplied equipment,” the order further said.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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