From service to crime
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: May 06, 2014 -

In the not-so-distant past, corruption was considered, at best, a mere issue of development and at worst, a socio economic issue which is beyond the world of medical science and health care.

But today, corruption in medical science or health sector has become such a serious issue attracting global attention so much so that the United Nations General Assembly had to adopt the UN Convention Against Corruption, which came into force in 2005, in October 2003.

Subsequently, other UN agencies have also undertaken various anti-corruption measures to ensure proper health care of the people.

For instances, the programme of Good Governance for Medicine was launched as part of the Medical Strategies 2004-2007 of World Health Organisation (WHO) to incorporate the issue of corruption in health sector as a priority issue.

Moreover, the United Nations Children's Fund has linked its promotion of child rights to good governance in due recognition of the relationship between child mortality and corruption.

So, as in other aspects of public life, good governance is the mantra for curbing the menace of corruption in health care as well.

The problem of corruption in healthcare may be multidimensional in its nature involving construction of health centres/hospitals, purchase of instruments, supply of medicines and goods, overbilling in insurance claims and even appointment of healthcare professionals.

And, complicating to this problem is the involvement of multiple parties including policy-makers, ministers, economists, engineers, contractors, suppliers, doctors, etc, etc.

Against this backdrop, the news report of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seeking prosecution sanction, which it is likely to obtain soon, from the Central Government against some officials of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal in connection with alleged misuse of fund in procuring dental chairs should not be a surprise to anybody in Manipur and beyond.

The CBI which started off its investigation mainly to determine the rate at which 38 dental chairs (GNATUS Brand) that had procured by the authorities of RIMS has reportedly stumbled over many more unethical practices not at all related to treatment and care of the patients in the premier medical institution of the region and gathered enough prima facie evidences on misuse of fund by RIMS authority in the dental chairs deal.

Apart from the revelation that RIMS authority did not purchase the dental chairs from any of the distributers in the country, but through a Government recognized agent, the investigation has led to the fact that even though the RIMS authority claimed to have procured the 38 chairs for Rs 3.75 crores including the value added tax (VAT), the actual cost of these chairs could be only Rs 1.5 crore including VAT.

With corruption in health sector regarded not just an issue of development or socioeconomic issue but something that concerns ethics and moral values, what is happening in RIMS should be treated as a serious crime against humanity as a whole.

Heads should roll, after all, RIMS has failed to live up to its motto, 'at the service of humanity'.