e-hospital software tender: Bids of firm quoting lower rates cancelled in Sehore

Sehore (Madhya Pradesh): Two months have passed since a committee was set up to inquire into a complaint about irregularities in e-hospital software tender, but the panel has yet to submit its reports.

According to sources in the hospital, in December last year, a tender was floated for running e-hospital software, and several big firms took part in it. Nevertheless, a farm from Rewa complained to the collector of Sehore about certain irregularities in the tender.

Civil surgeon and secretary of Rogi Kalyan Samiti invited a tender for running e-software in the hospital. According to the complaint, tender for technical bid and financial bid was opened before the purchase committee on December 20 last year.

In the financial bid, a company quoted a minimum rate of Rs 5.43, and another firm cited Rs 6.17. Although the first firm quoted a minimum price, its bid was not accepted. There is a difference of Re 1 between the rates quoted by two firms. In the complaint, the firm owner alleged that civil surgeon Dr Praveer Gupta committed irregularities by giving tender to the firm which quoted higher rates.

Nearly 1,000 people visit OPD in the district hospital. As the tender of a firm that quoted higher rates was accepted, the government has incurred a heavy loss, sources further said. When the issue was raised before Dr Gupta, he said as there had been some shortcomings in the papers that the firm had submitted, its tender was cancelled.

The allegations are baseless, as everything was done according to rules, Dr Gupta said. According to chief medical and health officer Dr Sudhir Dehria, an inquiry committee has been formed, but it has yet to submit a report.