Jammu, Thursday, August 12, 2010: In order to meet the Medical Council of India's criteria to be deemed as a medical college and hospital, the management of a private medical college in Jammu has shown even dead people undergoing treatment as indoor patients in the hospital, the police have said.

The state's crime branch has booked the management of Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences and Hospital (ASCOMS) at Sidhra near Jammu.

This, official sources said, followed after a prima facie case was made out against the hospital. It has been charged with fabricating official records and making wrong entries in hospital out-patient registers.

Significantly, the matter was first raised by some employees of the hospital who later quit their jobs allegedly under pressure from the management. The management thengot a theft case registered against these employees, the local police said.

The crime branch probe into the matter followed a letter along with a complaint from Additional Secretary of Health and Medical Education Department to Inspector General of Police (Crime Branch) on March 1, 2006, referring to allegations of various illegal practices being carried out by the ASCOMS management. Accordingly, a preliminary inquiry was initiated. The crime branch found hospital records showed even dead people undergoing treatment.

Pointing out that this was done to increase the strength of patients admitted in the hospital, sources said there were never proper details, including the addresses, in the case of most patients registered in hospital’s OPD. To make up for the shortage of staff, the hospital had also shown trainees working as junior nurses, sources said.

Ref: Indian Express