Hospital staff takes bribe to arrange blood

BARIPADA: An employee of Udala Sub Divisional Hospital in Mayurbhanj district has been caught on tape taking bribe from a patient’s relative to arrange a unit of blood. The video of the blood bank worker Pradip Behera accepting Rs 1,500 from one Rajkishore Murmu of Angarpoda village has gone viral on social media.

Sources said, an elderly woman Salgi Marandi village had been admitted to the SDH on Sunday. After a medical examination, doctors had said she needed at least three units of blood as her haemoglobin level had dipped. Based on their advice, Salgi’s grandson Rajkishore Murmu tried to arrange for blood but was unable to find a donor with A+ blood group.

When he sought help from Pradip, the latter said he can arrange a suitable donor but asked Rajkishore to pay `1,500 for  each unit of blood. Rajkishore paid `1,500 cash to Pradip. However, the video was secretly captured by someone close by and made viral on social media a day later.

The accused has also confessed to taking the bribe while handing over the cash to a relative who provided a unit of blood for money. Meanwhile, doctor in-charge Laxmikanta Pati said the department will conduct an enquiry into the matter.