ED raids private hospital in Andhra Pradesh over misappropriation of funds

Four teams of ED officials arrived from New Delhi and carried out the operation for over 27 hours

The Enforcement Directorate has held searches at a private hospital here and collected incriminating evidence over alleged embezzlement of funds, official sources said on Saturday.

The ED officials also questioned a few persons including some former administrators of NRI Medical College and Hospital at Mangalagiri.

There was no immediate comment from the hospital regarding the searches.

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No arrests were made in the case but the ED officials questioned a former director and ex-chief financial officer among others on Friday and Saturday over the alleged scam.

Four teams of ED officials arrived here from New Delhi and carried out the operation for over 27 hours.

The ED teams also found out that large sums of money collected from Covid-19 patients in 2020-21 through excess billing was not entered in the hospital records.

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"This amount could be about Rs 25 crore," official sources said.

A 'benami' company was used to divert loans to the tune of Rs 40 crore, taken in the name of SC and ST beneficiaries, for constructing warehouses.

"There was no construction, nor were the loans repaid," the sources said.

Sources further said that some other former directors of the hospital would also be questioned over the dubious transactions.

"These people also received huge donations from non-resident Indians," the sources pointed out.

There were allegations that the previous management of the hospital resorted to malpractices in the treatment of Covid-19 patients in 2020-21 and siphoned off crores of rupees through fake receipts.

Details regarding over 1,500 Covid-19 patients were not entered in the hospital records, raising suspicion over misappropriation of funds through fake accounts.

The old management of the private hospital also faced allegations of diversion of funds, collected as fee for MBBS course and also construction of new buildings in 2017-18.

The ED was said to have found out that large sums of money from the private hospital was diverted to a realty firm in Hyderabad.