Medical reimbursement scam: GMCH lodged FIRs against 39 government employees

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A scam related to medical reimbursement of government employees has come to light. The Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) authority has lodged FIRs against 39 government employees.

GMCH Superintendent Dr Abhijit Sarma told media persons in Guwahati on Sunday that the state-level Referral Board, GMCH had detected that fake referral certificates had been submitted by some government employees to get the benefit of medical reimbursement. From July 31, 2021, to date, the GMCH authority has lodged three FIRs against 39 such government employees at Bhangagarh Police Station. The Bhangagarh Police have registered three cases (432/21, 517/21 and 529/21).

Out of the 39 government employees, 36 are employees of the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), two are employees of the Elementary Education Department and one is an employee of the Finance Department.

Government employees must seek ex-post-facto approval from their respective departments for medical reimbursement. When the medical referral certificates were sent by the departments to the state-level Referral Board for verification, the Board found that some of the referral certificates were fake ones. The signatures of the members of the state-level Referral Board and even their official seals had been allegedly forged in these certificates. The GMCH Principal is the chairman of the state-level Referral Board, the GMCH Superintendent is the Member Secretary of the Board while Heads of three departments are members of this Board.

Police investigation in this matter is underway.

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