Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics allegedly carried out fake tests on ghost patients: Report

The Delhi government says it has been providing easily accessible and high-quality health care services through primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare facilities. However, based on a report on outsourced laboratory tests carried out at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics, the Delhi Government is under suspicion and facing some very serious charges.

Spurious drugs are allegedly being supplied in the Kejriwal’s Delhi government hospitals and fake lab tests have been carried out on ghost patients in Aam Aadmi Mohalla clinics. Moreover, payments have been allegedly made to private labs against lakhs of such fake tests. There are allegations that the scam is of almost Rs 100 crore and has come at the cost of the poorest of poor in Delhi.

The report claims doctors at Mohalla Clinics are not regular and mark attendance through pre-recorded videos and unauthorized /non-medical staff are allegedly prescribing tests and medicines to patients on their behalf. Fake and non-existent mobile numbers have been allegedly used to mark the entry of patients.

The suspected scam is raising several questions over the model which is also being followed in Punjab where the Aam Aadmi party is in power.

Keeping all above factors in view LG VK Saxena has recommended a CBI enquiry into the alleged scam.

Important findings of the report:

1. Patients’ Mobile number where only 0 digit entered – 11,657 records
2. Mobile Numbers found blank – 8251 records
3. Patients’ mobile number entered as 9999999999 – 3092 records
4. Mobile numbers starting with 1,2,3,4,5 (non-existent mobile numbers) – 400 records
5. Mobile numbers repeated 15 times or more – 999 records

Background:

“In the course of regular random monitoring, done at the behest of LG VK Saxena’s directions to establish efficacy and effectiveness, grave fraudulent practices have been found to be prevalent in the lab tests being carried out in the name of patients visiting Delhi Government Hospitals and Mohalla Clinics. It is indicative of alleged scam running of 100s of crores,” the report states.

Saxena had issued these directions while clearing a file pertaining to extension of lab testing services to private parties for patients visiting Mohalla Clinics and Delhi Govt Hospitals in December 2022.

Summary of the report:

The AAP Government in Delhi has outsourced the lab investigation services to:

1. M/s Agilus Diagnostics Ltd.
2. M/s Metropolis Health Care Ltd.

These service providers are providing lab tests in Mohalla Clinics.

• In August 2023, it was noticed that some doctors and staff of 07 Mohalla Clinics in South-West, Shahdara and North-East districts resorted to unethical practice to fraudulently mark their attendance through pre-recorded videos. These Mohalla Clinics are: Jaffar Kalan, Ujwa, Shikarpur, Gopal Nagar, Dhansa, Jagjeet Nagar and Bihari Colony.
• Patients at these Mohalla Clinics were provided medical consultation and medicines were disbursed by other unauthorized staff in the absence of doctors, thus endangering the lives of the patients.
• As per the dates mentioned in files of these 07 Mohalla Clinics, the respective Medical Officer In-charges fraudulently marked their attendance through pre-recorded videos during the following periods:

1. Jagjeet Nagar Mohalla Clinic – January 2023 to June 2023
2. Bihari Colony Mohalla Clinic – July 2022 to March 2023
3. Jaffar Kalan Mohalla Clinic – June 2022 to January 2023
4. Dhansa Mohalla Clinic – July 2022 to March 2023
5. Ujwa Mohalla Clinicc – August 2022 to March 2023
6. Shikarpur Mohalla Clinic – October 2022 to March 2023
7. Gopal Nagar Mohalla Clinic – August 2022 to March 2023

• In September 2023, action was taken against these staff and they were de-empanelled and FIRs were lodged against them.
• Further, in continuation of this action, a review of sample lab testing data for 03 months – July to September 2023 – retrieved from both private service providers – Agilus Diagnostics and Metropolis Health Care – was carried out.
• It was found that fake and non-existent mobile numbers were used for registration of patients and subsequent lab tests that were supposedly done on them. Also, there was duplication of mobile numbers. The data has clearly revealed that fake lab tests were carried out at these Mohalla Clinics that need to be further inquired.

A) Details of Lab tests ordered/done in 5 Mohalla Clincs (Agilus Lab)

Jaffar Kalan, Ujwa, Shikarpur, Gopal Nagar, Dhansa (Period: Feb. 2023 to Sept 2023)

Observations and findings:-

1. Blank mobile numbers in thecolumn – 52
2. Mobile number starting with 1,2,3,4,5 (that are non-existent in India)- 358
3. Mobile numbers repeated 15 or more times – 71
4. Total tests ordered/done in above 5 Mohalla Clinics – 15,463

B) Details of Lab tests ordered/done in 2 Mohalla Clincs (Metropolis Lab)

Jagjeet Nagar, Bihari Colony (Period: Feb 2023 to Sept 2023)

Observations and findings:

1. Mobile numbers repeated 10 or more times – 26
2. Total tests ordered/done in above 2 Mohalla Clinics – 2262

Further, the general observations and findings of Lab Tests ordered/done in all health facilities between July to Sept. 2023 in r/o Agilus and Metropolis labs are as under:

C) Lab tests ordered / done (Metropolis Lab)

(Period: July to Sept 2023)

1. Different patients name but same  Mobile number 9999999999 = 3092 records
2. Mobile numbers repeated 15 or more times – 111
3. Total Test ordered/done = 85,616

D) Lab tests ordered/done (Agilus Lab)

(Period: July to Sept 2023)

1. Different patients names but Mobile number where only 0 digit entered in the column= 11,657 records
2. Different patients with blank  mobile number column= 8199
3. Mobile number starts with 1,2,3,4,5 – 42 times
4. For different patients Mobile numbers repeated 15 or more times – 817
5. Total tests ordered/done = 5,21,221