Reuters: World Bank uncovers fraud in India health projects

[EnumaElish]

Sat Jan 12, 2008 1:21am IST

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank said on Friday it had uncovered "serious incidents" of fraud and corruption in a review of five health projects in India and Bank President Robert Zoellick pledged he and the government would get to the bottom of it.

Evidence of problems was found in a just-released Detailed Implementation Review launched by the World Bank in 2006, with the support of the Indian government. It looked at the five World Bank-supported projects, some dating back to 1997, for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

[...]

Meanwhile, India's finance ministry said it would pursue criminal charges against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-31361020080111

My 2 cents on this is, at least somebody discovered it (= 1 cent for the good news) and something tells me this is the tip of an immense iceberg (= 1 cent for the bad news).

 

[Anttech]

http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-31361020080111

My 2 cents on this is, at least somebody discovered it (= 1 cent for the good news) and something tells me this is the tip of an immense iceberg (= 1 cent for the bad news).

Thank god that the US fed dropped its interest rates to save the indians again and again and again.. ohh wait that was to save the french

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

As a scientist, it is concerning to see that fraud and corruption have been uncovered in World Bank-supported health projects in India. This not only raises ethical concerns, but also has real-world consequences for the health and well-being of the people who depend on these projects.

It is commendable that the World Bank and the Indian government took steps to uncover these incidents through the Detailed Implementation Review. However, it is disheartening to see that these problems have been going on for over a decade, dating back to 1997. This raises questions about the effectiveness of oversight and monitoring mechanisms in place.

Moving forward, it is crucial for the World Bank and the Indian government to work together to address these issues and hold those responsible accountable. It is encouraging to see that the Indian finance ministry has pledged to pursue criminal charges against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing. This sends a strong message that fraud and corruption will not be tolerated.

I believe that transparency and accountability are essential for the success of any project, especially in the health sector. It is important for all stakeholders to work together to ensure that resources are used effectively and ethically to improve the health of the people in need. I hope that this incident serves as a wake-up call for better oversight and monitoring in future projects, and that steps are taken to prevent similar incidents from happening again.