Civil Surgeon dismisses Pharmacist at Birni CHC over fraud and forgery

GIRIDIH: Civil Surgeon Dr. SP Mishra has dismissed Pankaj Kumar Singh, a Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) contract pharmacist at the Birni Community Health Center (CHC), following an investigation into systemic corruption and financial embezzlement.

The disciplinary sweep also resulted in the immediate suspension of Clerk-cum-Accountant Bachchu Lal Paswan. Furthermore, verification checks revealed that the professional qualification certificates of two Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) were completely invalid, while the credentials of seven other health center employees have been flagged as highly suspicious. The sweeping departmental crackdown has sent shockwaves through the block’s administrative and medical establishment.

The punitive measures stem from a formal complaint lodged by local activist Ashish Modi. A joint investigation led by the District R.C.H. Officer and the In-charge Medical Officer of Sadar Block Giridih (Report No. 193, dated May 30, 2026), alongside a subsequent report from the In-charge Medical Officer of Birni CHC (Letter No. 220, dated June 9, 2026), exposed an elaborate paper trail fraud.

The probe scrutinized the procurement of medical equipment and supplies financed through the Chief Minister Hospital Operation and Maintenance Scheme. Investigators discovered that while Pharmacist Pankaj Kumar Singh logged the purchased items into the official stock register as distributed, the designated recipient employees never actually received the goods. Physical verification confirmed that the health workers had neither taken possession of the supplies nor signed the registry. The final inquiry report proved that Singh had forged the signatures himself to counterfeit the distribution logs, confirming deliberate fraud, document forgery, and the theft of public property.

The mass administrative fallout has triggered public fury and raised serious questions regarding institutional complicity. Activists note that upper-level departmental officers only acted after sustained public protests exposed the deep-rooted corruption. Local citizens are questioning how local health administrators allowed workers with fake qualifications to operate for years, drawing government salaries and compromising public healthcare safety without facing routine credential checks.

Compounding the oversight failure, Birni Block Development Officer (BDO) Phanishwar Rajwar confirmed that the health center’s financial ledgers and accounts were never presented during official block management committee meetings. This deliberate withholding of financial data effectively blinded local oversight bodies, enabling the unchecked, fraudulent withdrawal of government funds.