Bhagalpur health officials launch drive against touts at govt hospitals

BHAGALPUR: The district health department officials have initiated steps to check the menace of touts, who cheat gullible patients coming to government hospitals by promising them quick and better healthcare services at private clinics/hospitals.
The steps being taken include putting up posters with captions such as ‘dalalon sey savdhan’ (beware of touts), surprise checks at hospitals, close monitoring of the activities of outsiders roaming around on hospital premises besides the healthcare personnel, including nurses, paramedical staff and others by the internal vigilance teams.
The district health authorities received complaints against touts who promise better medical facilities at reasonable rates to vulnerable patients, mostly from rural and suburban areas coming to government hospitals for the treatment.
Health department sources said touts flourish at government hospitals in connivance with lower level healthcare staff. The touts, both men and women, first criticizes the healthcare system at a government hospital in front of vulnerable patients and then divert them to private clinics/hospitals by promising better medicare at private establishments. For that, the touts get hefty commission from the private clinics/hospitals.
Bhagalpur civil surgeon (CS) Dr Umesh Sharma said they have taken steps to check this menace. “We have put up caution posters besides displaying our mobile numbers in case any patient is approached by touts or so,” he said and added that internal vigilance teams have also been formed to secretly monitor the activities of outsiders on the hospital premises besides the healthcare staff.
“We have also started counselling of patients and their attendants about the free healthcare services, including delivery, surgery or other medical services being provided at Sadar hospital, primary health centres (PHCs) and other government hospitals,” the CS said. “We advise the patients and their attendants to inform the health authorities (whose mobile and telephone numbers are displayed) if anyone asks for money or tries to divert them away to private clinics or so.”
Further steps like registering FIRs against touts found indulging in such nefarious activities will be taken, Sharma said, adding that some unscrupulous employees, medical practitioners and quacks (village doctors with medical degree) were involved in diverting patients from government to private hospitals. “Our efforts are to check this anyhow for safeguarding the innocent patients and in order to save their hardearned money and precious lives,” the CS added.