Orissa:13 middlemen held for defrauding patients at AIIMS Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: The menace of touts defrauding patients by promising faster and better treatment at Government hospitals is spreading like wildfire in Odisha. Thirteen people were arrested by Khandagiri police from the campus of the AIIMS-Bhubaneswar for allegedly taking money from gullible patients and their families by promising faster treatment.

The touts were taking advantage of the rush at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, where people from across Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal and Jharkhand visit for treatment, they said.

Also Read:AIIMS Bhubaneswar doctor arrested for duping daughter of patient on pretext of marriage

"We have arrested 13 people, some of whom are from West Bengal, on the charge of extorting money from patients for tokens required to get treatment at the hospital," said Khandagiri police station's inspector-in-charge Dayanidhi Nayak.

Initially, 20 people were detained, and 13 of them were arrested after preliminary interrogation, he said.

Police said a racket was at work at the hospital, and a hunt is on for its mastermind.

Patients from West Bengal were being trapped by Bengali-speaking touts who used to charge Rs 4,000-5,000 for registration and other assistance, police said.

AIIMS-Bhubaneswar director Asutosh Biswas said, "This is not the first instance. Some people were arrested earlier as well. We have decided to strengthen the security and hand over such persons to the police."

As per Odisha Bhaskar, after receiving several complaints, Khandagiri police had prepared a detailed plan to nab these elusive touts. A group of police personnel reached the AIIMS campus posing as patients and their relatives. They were immediately offered help by the touts for a price. It was found that these touts were collecting Rs 5000 from gullible patients and their relatives to provide hospital tickets in black.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported that taking action against the brokers or middlemen who reportedly divert patients from the Out-patient departments of government hospitals to private establishments, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FW) had issued a letter ordering strict monitoring and crackdown against such agents.

Also Read:Patient jumps from fifth floor of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, dies