The Civil Intelligence Front (CIF) has requested the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to launch an investigation into alleged fraud at the National Institute for Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation (NINDT).
Speaking yesterday (17), CIF Convenor Sanjaya Mahawatta said the organisation had formally written to CIABOC, urging a probe into Health Ministry officials who were allegedly involved with sections of the NINDT staff in committing the suspected irregularities.
Mahawatta noted that the former NINDT Director Dr. Charles Nugawela had been attempting to enforce discipline and take action against Hospital employees who were allegedly drawing salaries and allowances irregularly. He further alleged that when the Radiological Technologists’ Association launched a strike and took steps to have the relevant administrator removed, it enabled corrupt and irregular practices within the Hospital to continue with the support of the Ministry. He observed that in a situation where radiology technicians had not provided X-ray services at the Hospital after 4 p.m., Ministry officials had granted approval for technicians to be called from their homes and transported to the Hospital from nearly 40 kilometres away to obtain X-ray images. He called for a full investigation into the said decision taken at the time. Mahawatta further said that because there are no on-call rooms for staff to remain at the Hospital after 4 p.m., they do not report for duty during those hours. He said that the steps taken by the Hospital Director to save patients’ lives under these circumstances had instead been used by the Ministry as grounds to portray him as a wrongdoer.
He added that the CIF had also requested the CIABOC to carry out a comprehensive investigation into all health sector employees at the NINDT who fail to report for duty after 4 p.m. but still claim overtime payments.
It was reported that the Hospital Director had repeatedly informed the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena about the alleged financial irregularities taking place within the NINDT, but that no effective action had followed.
Mahawatta also urged the Auditor General and the CIABOC to investigate all Ministry Secretaries and the DGHS who were responsible for issuing circulars that allegedly enabled corrupt practices by health sector employees at the NINDT. He also drew the attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the corruption and irregularities that have allegedly taken place at the institution.
However, attempts to contact Dr. Gunawardena for comment on the allegations were unsuccessful.