Preliminary inquiry finds blood bank collections allegedly diverted to personal account instead of government treasury; financial records not produced during investigation
A major financial irregularity has surfaced at a Civil Hospital blood bank, where an accountant working under the National Health Mission (NHM) has been accused of misappropriating more than ₹19.14 lakh over the past three financial years by allegedly diverting government blood bank collections into his personal bank account.
According to the preliminary inquiry, the accused allegedly deposited money collected from private hospitals for blood supplied by the government blood bank into his own account instead of the designated government account. The alleged irregularities came to light after officials compared bank statements with official receipt books and found significant discrepancies in the deposited amounts.
Inquiry Reveals Large Discrepancies in Blood Bank Collections
The investigation found substantial differences between the amount collected and the amount deposited during the last three financial years.
In the 2023–24 financial year, the blood bank collected ₹10,97,700, but only ₹82,500 was deposited into the government account, leaving ₹10,15,200 unaccounted for.
During 2024–25, receipts worth ₹7,34,700 were issued. However, only ₹2,37,600 was deposited, while ₹4,97,100 allegedly remained undisclosed.
Similarly, in 2025–26, officials found that ₹5,90,600 had been collected, but only ₹1,88,100 reached the government account, with the remaining amount allegedly not deposited.
Accountant Failed to Produce Financial Records, Say Officials
Following the preliminary findings, the inquiry committee directed the accused to submit cash books, financial records, bank-related documents, and other supporting evidence. However, officials stated that the required records were not produced during the course of the investigation.
The accused had joined the National Health Mission as an accountant on September 16, 2019.
Irregularities Detected After Bank Statement Verification
According to reports, the alleged financial misconduct was detected after the inquiry committee cross-verified official receipt books with bank statements. The verification reportedly revealed a significant mismatch between the money collected from private hospitals and the amount deposited into the government account.
Government blood banks are authorised to collect a prescribed processing fee from private hospitals for supplying blood units to admitted patients. Under established procedures, the collected amount must be deposited directly into the designated government account. Investigators allege that a substantial portion of these collections was instead diverted over the past three financial years.
Blood Bank Transparency Under Increased Scrutiny
The incident has raised concerns regarding financial accountability and internal monitoring mechanisms in government-run blood banks operating under the National Health Mission.
The development comes amid growing attention on blood bank governance across the country. Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had flagged serious shortcomings in the functioning of blood banks in Rajasthan, highlighting concerns related to patient safety and the quality of blood transfusion services.
