A few residents in Lucknow have recorded a video clip on their mobile phones of government doctors demanding bribe for admitting patients in the emergency ward.
The video clip shows doctors at the governmentowned Balrampur Hospital making demands for bribe. According to a health official, the video clip, along with a complaint letter has been sent to chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, health minister Ahmad Hasan and principal secretary (health) Sanjay Agarwal.
The group of residents that recorded the clip, have also made similar recordings of malpractices in the two other government hospitals in the state capital — Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Hospital and the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital — and these have also been sent to the CM and the health minister.
Interestingly, one of the medical officers in the video clip has already faced corruption charges twice in
the BSP regime but each time he was given a clean chit.
The group has also recorded some illegal activities in the orthopedic department, burn unit and surgery departments of these hospitals.
Sources said that after the news of the video clip spread, Dr T.P. Singh, director of the Balrampur Hospital, has ordered an inquiry into the episode.
The chief minister’s office could not confirm the receipt of the video or the complaint but the government spokesman said that stern action would be taken against the accused if the matter was brought to their notice.
Meanwhile, the state government has asked district magistrates and police chiefs in all districts to set up teams and carry out raids against quacks and fraudsters posing as doctors.
The directives make it clear that action under the law is to be initiated against such persons. This is the first time that DMs and SPs have been entrusted the responsibility of taking action against quacks.