Metropolis Healthcare Clarifies Stand On Alleged Mohalla Clinics Corruption
The billing for testing has been strictly done on the basis of the sample received, test performed, and reported, the company said.
Metropolis Healthcare Ltd. has clarified that it followed all due procedures for medical samples handed over under the "Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic Project", which is currently under the Central Bureau of Investigation's scanner on corruption claims regarding diagnostic tests.
The billing for testing has been strictly done on the basis of the sample received, test performed, and reported, the company said in an exchange filing on Monday.
Earlier, the Home Ministry had directed the CBI to investigate alleged corruption in the operations of the Aam Aadmi Party's healthcare project, Mohalla Clinics, in Delhi.
It was alleged that the Mohalla Clinics ran fake radiology and pathology tests on 'ghost patients'.
"In the current matter being reported in the media, the company has followed all due procedures and guidelines as per our contract, and all samples that were handed over to us have been duly tested and reported," the filing said.
Interacting with patients and collecting samples is the responsibility of the Mohalla clinic. Metropolis is given the samples with the required customer information, which are then tested in their labs, and the report is handed back to the Mohalla clinic, it said.
"From a medical perspective, the only required customer information for an accurate test is name, age, gender, and in specific instances, medical history."
Metropolis disclosed that it was awarded the smallest portion of the contract after being the second-highest bidder and matching the rate of the highest bidder in a public tender process.
The company’s overall revenue due from Feb. 1, 2023, till December 2023 was Rs 3.58 crore, less than 0.5% of the consolidated revenue of the company. Of this, Metropolis has received only Rs 1.32 crore from Mohalla clinics till date.
On Dec. 19, 2023, the company sent a notice to the state government, expressing its inability to continue with the contract as "the assignment is not commercially viable for Metropolis and due to prolonged delays in receiving dues".
Metropolis also claimed it did not received any notice from any authority but will fully cooperate with any relevant authority if they decide to investigate the matter.
Shares of Metropolis Healthcare were trading 2.94% higher at Rs 1,549.20 apiece, compared to a 0.72% rise in the benchmark Sensex at 10:47 a.m.