Krishnagar, July 2: A section of Group D staff in government hospitals in Nadia is allegedly charging Rs 400 to Rs 500 for otherwise free services such as wheeling in a patient from the operation theatre to the bed after a Caesarean section.
Some relatives of patients have lodged complaints with the hospital authorities, prompting the subdivisional officer of Ranaghat to start an inquiry at the Ranaghat subdivisional hospital.
Senior health officials in Nadia admitted that the practice existed and appealed to the patients' relatives to bring such behaviour to the notice of the authorities.
Nadia's chief medical officer of health, Tapas Roy, said: "We admit that a section of staff is taking money at various government hospitals in the district. But very few patients and their relatives lodge complaints. We appeal to them to immediately report such incidents to the administration of the respective hospitals."
In October 2014, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that patients would get free treatment in all government hospitals and health centres across the state.
A health department official said: "The objective was to provide benefits to around 75 per cent of ailing people who are generally treated at government hospitals."
An elderly woman from Nadia's Aranghata, Sulekha Mondal, had last week lodged a complaint with the superintendent of Ranaghat subdivisional hospital and the SDO against a Group D staff for forcing her to pay Rs 400 to bring her daughter and her newborn baby to bed from the operation theatre after delivery.
On the basis of the complaint, the SDO of Ranaghat, Prasenjit Chakraborty, had started a probe against the accused, Madhab Dutta.
Sulekha said: "I had admitted my daughter for delivery hoping for good treatment free of cost. My daughter got good care from the doctor, got free medicines, but a Group D staff forced me to pay Rs 400 for taking my daughter from the OT to her bed. He was pressing for Rs400 more. When I refused to oblige, he humiliated me in public. I had then lodged the complaint."
Sulekha, 51, works as a labourer at a noodles factory in Ranaghat and earns Rs 100 per day on a "no work-no pay" basis.
The accused staff, Madhab Dutta, refuted the allegation, but acknowledged that it was "usual practice" to take money for such services.
"The patients pay on their own. We don't force any one," said Madhab.
Asked if he could accept money being a government employee, Dutta quickly left.
The SDO of Ranaghat, Chakraborty, said: "An inquiry has been started against Madhab Dutta. If proved guilty, he will be charged with taking bribe."
A police officer said, "A government employee faces a three year prison term if it is proved he has taken bribe."
Rajesh Majumder, a Toto operator in Nadia's Chakdah, had a similar experience at Kalyani's Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital last month when her daughter was admitted there for childbirth.
"I was compelled to pay Rs1,200 in total to attendants and sweepers at the hospital. I thought about lodging a complaint with the hospital superintendent, but some attendants threatened me that in that case, no one would take care of my daughter who was in poor health after a Caesarean section. So I changed my mind," Majumder said.
Similarly, Karina Biwi of Nakashipara was forced to pay Rs 300 to the driver of a 'Matri Yan' (free ambulances to ferry pregnant women to hospital and bring them home after delivery) to ferry her daughter home from Saktinagar district hospital.
Swapan Kundu, the SDO of Kalyani and member of the patients' welfare committee, said: "The allegations are true, but unfortunately no one has dared to lodged a formal complaint. As a result, it becomes difficult to initiate an inquiry."
