Jagran correspondent, Muzaffarpur. An incident that puts health services to shame has come to light in the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) located on the SKMCH campus. Here, the game of illegal extortion is going on in full swing in the name of free check-up facilities provided to pregnant women. In the name of government investigation, the lab technicians here are playing the game of private investigation. Nearly thirty thousand rupees are being recovered from pregnant women every day in the name of thyroid.
During the sample collection, samples are also being taken for thyroid testing and the test and report are being brought from a private center and are being provided along with the government test report. Pinky Kumari, wife of Chandan Kumar of Kanti, Nikki Kumari of Ahiyapur and relatives of other patients told that during the medical consultation, the doctors are asking to conduct other tests including CBC, LFT, KFT, urine, thyroid.
During sample collection at G-Third of MCH for testing, the workers here give information about thyroid being from outside. But during the sample itself, they take thirty hundred rupees along with the sample and along with other reports, they are also giving the report of thyroid. Whereas the government is providing free testing facilities in all government hospitals. Relatives of some patients said that they were being scolded for not getting tested.
When the pregnant women and their relatives who came to the hospital for treatment on Tuesday protested against this illegal recovery, the whole matter came to light. The family members alleged that despite all the tests in the government hospital being free, the lab technicians forcibly demand money. Due to non-payment of money, there is reluctance in taking samples or fear of delay in reporting is shown. The patients in the hospital premises expressed their displeasure over this fraud.
As soon as the matter escalated, the hospital administration swung into action. Principal cum Superintendent Dr. Abha Rani Sinha has issued orders for immediate investigation in view of the seriousness of the matter. He has clearly said that all pathological tests for pregnant women in the hospital are completely free.
If any employee is caught taking money, he will be relieved from service and legal action will be taken. Also, he has instructed Dr. Mahesh Prasad, HOD of Pathology Department, to report immediately the testing facilities which are not available in SKMCH, so that the facilities can be made available to the patients.
According to the information, more than five hundred patients are reaching OPD for treatment in SKMCH's MCH every day. In OPD, doctors are advising most of the patients having pregnancy and cesarean operation to get their thyroid checked. Taking advantage of this, lab technicians reinstated through outsourcing are taking their samples and getting them tested from outside and submitting reports.
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