Karnataka had procured 16 lakh expired RT PCR kits during covid wave: D’Cunha commission

It also says Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd., which cancelled an order for RAT kits, has not recovered the money that was paid 

The report by the commission headed by retired High Court judge John Michael D’Cunha, which investigated the alleged irregularities in COVID-19 management and procurements during the BJP’s tenure, has found that over 16 lakh RT-PCR test kits supplied by two companies in 2022 were either expired on the date of the supply or were nearing expiry date.

Besides, the commission has also found that the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KSMSCL) that cancelled a supply order for one lakh Rapid Antigen (RAT) kits placed with a Singapore-based company in March 2020 — for delay in supplying — has not recovered the ₹6.99 crore paid to the company towards the order.

The KSMSCL, which made total payments to the tune of ₹212.41 crore towards procurement of nearly 1.85 crore RAT kits in 2020, cancelled purchase orders of a total value of ₹ 77.32 crore for different reasons.

Recommending departmental proceedings and legal action against the officials concerned, the commission has said that ₹9.99 crore, including ₹3 crore paid towards the supply of expired RT-PCR kits, should be recovered.

According to the 279-page report on procurements made by the KSMSCL that is compiled in part IV of the report, a payment of ₹148.84 crore was made by KSMSCL to various suppliers and firms towards procurement of RT-PCR kits from 2020 to 2022. 

The Commission’s report stated that there were records indicating procurement of RT-PCR kits, RNA extraction kits and Viral transport media (VTM) of a total value of ₹ 106.25 crore during the pandemic in Karnataka. However, this procurement has been made without administrative approval, the report stated.

Expired kits 

The commission noted that the State’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), in its meeting proceedings dated August 16, 2022, detected that the RT-PCR kits supplied by M/s J J Biotech and M/s Q-Line Biotech (P) Ltd. Lucknow had either expired on the date of the supply or was nearing expiry date. The TAC  had recommended that the KSMSCL should initiate action for the replacement or extension of the expiry dates of RT-PCR kits and RNA extraction kits. 

In response, the KSMSCL is stated to have intimated to the committee that for want of necessary conditions in the Purchase Order and Invitation For Quote (IFQ) for replacement of the expired kits, no action could be taken against the suppliers.

“The terms and conditions of the IFQ clearly stipulate that the shelf life from the date of manufacture of the RT-PCR kits should be 12 months and minimum shelf life of the product at the time of delivery to the consignee should have been ‘3/4 of the total shelf life’, which means that as on the date of the supply the RT-PCR kits or RNA Extraction kits should have a minimum shelf life of at least eight months,” the report stated. 

“A statement prepared by Arundhathi Chandrashekar, the then Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), in this regard clearly indicates that 5,93,923 and 9,88,400 RT-PCR tests supplied by the above two firms did not have shelf life as on the date of supply,” the report stated.

“As such, the KSMSCL was required to follow up on the matter with the supplier and get the expired or near-expiring kits replaced. Since the KSMSCL has failed to discharge its obligation and responsibility, the loss of over ₹ 3.11 crore caused to the State exchequer to this extent is required to be replenished by the erring officers from KSMSCL and those from the designated laboratories who received the consignment.”

Published - November 28, 2024 06:56 am IST