The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi is facing a series of allegations, including procurement irregularities and the promotion of an official accused of sexual harassment.
According to a report by The Wire, the matter worsened to such an extent that the Union health ministry was compelled to write to the director of AIIMS requesting an investigation report. The report revealed that the medical institute continues to be unresponsive.
Reportedly, AIIMS Delhi overlooked more economical options for gloves and allowed the acquisition of these supplies at significantly inflated prices, which has resulted in considerable financial losses to the government treasury.
Meanwhile, the health ministry has written letters to AIIMS twice in the last 15 months regarding the purchase of gloves, but the director has not responded even once, The Wire reported.
In May 2023, AIIMS issued a call for tenders for the procurement of 5.8 million high-quality, powder-free surgical gloves that are certified according to Indian Standard (IS 4148). According to The Wire report, a total of 33 companies submitted tenders but none except two were deemed technically suitable to advance beyond the initial stage of the technical bid.
The two companies that were found eligible for the financial bid were AS Healthcare and Braun Biotech Limited. While AS Healthcare bid Rs 12 crore 47 lakh at the rate of Rs 21.50 per pair of gloves, Braun Biotech Limited bid Rs 16 crore 24 lakh. Consequently, AS Healthcare got the contract on October 16, 2023, The Wire reported.
The Wire reported that senior doctors and administrative officials at AIIMS were fully cognizant of the inflated rates. Some officials defended this pricing, while others opposed it. These gloves were declared invalid in August 2023.
The Wire reported that the ministry, having received no response for over a year, sent a follow-up letter to AIIMS on December 12, 2024. The ministry wrote, “It is requested to examine the matter and provide a report to the ministry, urgently.” But AIIMS has yet to provide a response. AIIMS media representative Dr. Reema Dada told The Wire Hindi that the institution is conducting its own investigation into the matter.