Rajendra Nagar Hospital, given the super-speciality hospital tag for eye-related disorders by the state government, has come under the scanner now.

The health department has sought a clarification from the hospital administration for allowing commercial activities on its premises.

A health department team recently submitted its probe, where it mentions that the hospital authorities allowed posters of private ophthalmic lens companies and their contact details to be put up on the notice board of the hospital.

Commercial activities on government hospital campuses are not new.

During a recent surprise inspection at Patna Medical College and Hospital, divisional commissioner Anand Kishore found a car fair-cum-exhibition on its campus.

He later cut a day's salary of both the hospital superintendent and the manager for the violation.

Sources in the health department said a probe had been initiated on the issue after MLC Sanjay Prasad raised a question in the Assembly in this regard last year. They added that the probe headed by Rajendra Prasad, director, health services proved that the MLC's claim was true.

Sources said a letter seeking explanation on this matter had been issued to Rajendra Nagar Hospital director Naresh Kumar Bhimsaraiya on September 8. He, however, denied having received any letter from the department on this matter till Tuesday.

"I have not received any such letter from the department but earlier someone had reported this to the department. However, the fact is we don't have any intention of making any profit out of this. Patients used to enquire about ophthalmic lens brands they could buy. As we cannot refer any particular company to them, we chose to display the contact details of all companies we know of. There is nothing wrong in that. Few people are unnecessarily making an issue out of that," said Bhimsaraiya.

The state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said commercial activities should not be allowed in government hospitals. Former president of the IMA's state chapter Sachchidanand Kumar said: "Such things are always done in connivance with senior officials of the government."

While the vice-president of IMA's state chapter, Sunil Kumar Singh, said the government should first focus on solving the crisis of basic things at government health facilities.

"The Rajendra Nagar Hospital administration might be mired in controversy for allowing commercial activities on its campus but strengthening the facilities at the eye hospital seems not to be on the state government's priority list," said Bhimsaraiya.