SHILLONG: The CSWO has stated that the inquiry committee of the Central government should ensure that there are no compromises and that no one should hide the facts.
CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said that three persons from Delhi have been sent to inquire about the NEIGRIHMS complaints.
She said that initially only Promila Gupta, principal consultant and retired doctor from the union health ministry, who is the chairperson of the committee and Dr. Sandip Bansal, who is still working as Cardiologist, came to the institute.
According to Kharshiing, it seems that the committee was sent to investigate only a narrow ambit by the ministry which says about only a PMO complaint and they are not taking other complaints by individuals.
Stating that one more member, Dr Behel arrived only after 3 pm on Tuesday, Kharshiing added that the official came when most interviews had been done apart from the Director.
“We were told that earlier, after many complaints since 2018, the HoD, Cardiology department head was called by the Director of NEIGRIHMS to provide an explanation. However he had misbehaved many times,” Kharshiing said.
She said that if complete investigation is not carried out, then the committee would be more on technicality inclined to help the HoD, Cardiology head and his team, adding that the committee should also take into consideration the records especially the seizure of a number of stents on April 30.
She also said that one staff member of the Cardiology department Amit Alviya was earlier working under one of the members of the committee and as per ethics, the member should have relinquished himself for a fair inquiry.
“If someone was under him earlier, the member, he/she should have backed out from this committee as there would be influence,” she said.
Stating that on April 30, when Chief Vigilance Officer, NEIGRIHMS seized a number of stents, pace makers and others, there were staff who were on duty at the Cath Lab in the Cardiology department.
She also alleged that the nurses deposed before the member committee were handpicked to appear before the committee.
“The nurse in-charge on April 30 was not called to depose before the committee. We were instead informed that a person who was on leave, had been called to depose before the committee,” Kharshiing said.