Dhar: Middlemen dupes patients on pretext of better health facilities at private hospitals, probe ordered

Dhar: The District Health Administration of Dhar has formed a committee after receiving complaints about the increasing number of middlemen who dupe vulnerable patients coming to government hospitals and take them to private hospitals on the promise of quick and better healthcare facilities.  

During a public hearing, the district administration received several complaints against touts at government hospitals, reports the Free Press Journal.

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The complainants alleged that the middlemen promise the patients who come to government hospitals good treatment at reasonable rates in the private hospitals, with the poor and illiterate patients being their prime target as the middlemen take advantage of their marginalization. 

After receiving the complaints, the district collector Dr Pankaj Jain performed a surprise inspection of the government hospital and saw the negligence of the hospital management. Subsequently, he directed the Chief Medical & Health Officer to form a committee to probe the incident to keep the hospital free of middlemen and to ensure quality healthcare services to patients.

After conducting the probe and looking into the documents of various private hospitals, the committee has submitted the data to civil surgeon Dr Malviya. The data revealed that nearly five patients who were undergoing bone-related surgery at the district hospital were diverted to the private Tirupati Hospital. The report has been further forwarded to the CMHO office for further inquiry, reports the Free Press Journal. 

The Civil Surgeon Dr SS Malviya said that they have found more than 150 such patients from seven private hospitals who were diverted from government hospitals. The identified patients and their family members would be called in for questioning to identify the reason behind going to private hospitals. Accordingly, the officials would take action if they find the involvement of any middleman or hospital staff in cheating the patients and their kin by sending them from the government to private hospitals in return for a commission. 

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