CBI at AIIMS Bhubaneswar door over pharmacy tendering

BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out searches at the 24X7 pharmacy store of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar.

Sources said the central agency conducted the searches to verify papers related to the tender obtained to operate the pharmacy store. Some documents were also seized during the operation. Two teams comprising about eight officers carried out the searches suspecting discrepancies in the tender process.

“The documents will be examined and if required, the operators of the pharmacy store will be served notice to appear before the CBI for questioning,” said sources. The searches reportedly went on for a few hours and continued till the evening.

AIIMS, Bhubaneswar had reportedly invited tenders to run 24X7 pharmacy store/chemist shop in October 2020 to supply medicines, surgical consumables, implants, orthotics and prosthetic devices, and others to patients only against valid prescriptions of its doctors at approved fixed discounted rates.

One of the requirements for the bidders was to have at least five years experience in selling/dispensing medicines, surgical consumables/implants/orthotics and prosthetic devices. A few days ago, Drug Control directorate had carried search after being informed that the pharmacy was not selling medicines at discounted prices.