Doctor-criminal nexus in Malda ???

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Sept. 21: A racket comprising a few doctors, medical representatives, police and anti-socials is allegedly "looting" poor patients at the Malda district hospital in the name of selling medicines to them. The hospital authorities have failed to curb the menace despite health minister Dr Suryakata Mishra's instruction. The minister who visited the hospital recently had instructed the authorities concerned to ensure that the patients get medicines free of cost. Though the Democratic Youth Federation of India activists tried to submit a memorandum to the hospital authorities yesterday against the illegal practice, they failed to do so owing to violence on the hospital campus over the alleged molestation of a woman at the hands of a National Volunteer Force constable. "The Malda district hospital premises is not safe for the common people at night. Anti-socials snatch prescriptions from the relatives of patients at midnight and force them to buy costly medicines prescribed by the doctors known to them. Yesterday's incident has exposed the real picture of the hospital," said a senior DYFI leader. It may be recalled that the DYFI leaders had recently protested against the appointment of local youths as security guards in various wards of the hospital on contract basis. The newly appointed security guards, who are allegedly backed by the local CPI-M leaders, function without wearing proper uniforms, making it extremely difficult for the common people who visit the hospital at night to identify them.The health minister, Dr Suryakanta Mishra, has visited the hospital several times over the past few months. He had recently instructed the hospital authorities to appoint retired Army personnel as security guards. Though the hospital authorities tried to implement the minister's proposal, the Malda district administration is showing a dilly-dallying attitude in making the proposal a reality owing to pressure from local CPI-M leaders. The CPI-M zonal committee member and local councilor, Mr DN Chaki, said: "A group of doctors belonging to gynaecology department are involved in the racket. They are forcing the patients' relatives to buy costly medicines in a bid to run their own business." The Malda CMOH, Dr Radha Raman Banik, said they would take measures to discourage forcible sell of medicines to the patients at the Malda district hospital. "As far as the appointment of security guards is concerned, we have already taken steps to recruit retired Army personnel."