Deep rooted nexus making lakhs by cheating patients, attendants
Strange it may sound, but it is true, the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu has become a ‘marketing hub’ as a deep rooted nexus in the premier health institute of the region is making lakhs of rupees by duping the patients and their attendants in a clandestine manner.
Highly placed sources in the hospital informed that the agents of different firms supplying surgical items and medicines and agents of private laboratories are seen roaming in the hospital wards and Operation Theatres (OTs) without any check.
“These people choose soft target, especially the people who have come from far flung areas to avail treatment, and give them in advance the items and medicines which are yet to be prescribed by the doctor and that too at much higher rates”, a senior official of the hospital informed Greater Kashmir, while wishing anonymity.
“Not only this, these people also take samples for testing in private laboratory by telling the patient and his attendants that such and such test is to be conducted outside as the same is not done in the hospital ,” sources informed.
Sources further disclosed that there is a deep rooted nexus in the Operation Theatres (OTs) through which the people involved make huge money by duping the attendants by asking for medicines and other items when the patient is on operation table .
The people, especially from far off areas, are the soft targets of this nexus and the modus operandi is such that people easily fall in their trap, sources said.
“Normally, the doctors ask the attendants to get all the medicines, surgical items and other things required for the surgery a day prior to the surgery, so that the operation goes on smoothly. But the people involved in unholy practice, dupe the attendants in a clandestine manner by handing over them costly medicines, injections and other items, right at the time when their patient is undergoing surgery, although, the same are not required,” highly placed sources informed.
“In a planned manner, people from private firms/shops come outside the Operation Theatre and call the name of the patient undergoing surgery,” sources informed and added, “They tell the attendant that some medicines/injections etc have been demanded by the doctor for your patient, who is undergoing surgery as he is in emergency”.
They further said, “The attendants fall in the trap, and without thinking otherwise, take costly medicines/injections from these persons and pay them the money”.
They said, “The moment, the attendant takes those medicines/injections etc, the person inside the OT, who knows all this, comes near the door and takes them”. They added, “These medicines or injections however, are never demanded by the doctor and therefore, they never reach the patient”.
These people inside the theatre sometimes also give slips to the attendants prescribing costly medicines/injections and ask them to bring the same, although, the same are never required and are also not demanded by the doctors conducting surgery in the OT.
“These medicines/injections etc range between Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000, and one can well imagine that how much money is being made in this unholy practice as on an average, around 6 to 7 seven surgeries are being conducted in each theater of the GMC” said a insider.
Pertinently, there are 9 OTs in the GMC, 4 of Surgery, 3 of Orthopedics, 1 Eye Theatre and one in Emergency.
When the matter, along with proof, was brought to the notice of Medical Superintendent, GMC, Dr Ramesh Gupta, he said that the practice is unacceptable and necessary steps have been taken to check the practice.
“The moment we came to know about the matter, we deployed cops in civvies along all the OTs of the GMC. It will be made sure that this practice is stopped immediately,” Dr Ramesh Gupta said. “We are on the job and soon the nexus will be cracked”, he said, while also adding, “This practice has been going on since the past some time”.
When further inquired, he also did not rule out the involvement of some of the hospital staff members in the entire process.
