Tamil Nadu: 9 Kasturba Gandhi Hospital staff dismissed, 4 suspended over bribery allegations

Chennai: Nine staff members at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children have been dismissed, four suspended, and four nurses issued show-cause notices in a sweeping disciplinary action following a bribery complaint that exposed malpractice within the institution.

Additionally, the State Health and Family Welfare Department has taken action against staff accused of demanding money from patients for services that are meant to be free.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian confirmed the disciplinary actions. Speaking to DT Next, he said, "Accepting money from the public or taking any form of bribe is completely unacceptable. The government has acted firmly to protect patients and uphold ethical standards."

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Reaffirming the State’s zero tolerance for corruption in healthcare, Subramanian stressed that the government would continue to “act decisively” whenever patient rights are violated.

Earlier in the day, the minister visited the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore to inaugurate two battery-operated vehicles for patient convenience. He highlighted the state’s substantial investments in eye care, including the inauguration of a new Rs 65-crore hospital building during its bicentenary celebrations and additional spending of Rs 74 crore on specialised services.

He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s achievements in eye care, including conducting more than 12,000 cataract camps, one lakh free cataract surgeries, five lakh donated corneas, and large-scale screenings for schoolchildren, resulting in free spectacles for nearly three lakh students, reports DT Next.

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