Patient ‘lifters’ active on MMCH premises, management on alert

Daltonganj: The medical superintendent of the state government-run Medinirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH) Dr Dilip Kumar Singh has warned paramedics, personnel of its outsourcing agency and regular staff to refrain from indulging in ferrying outpatients, particularly from the poor financial background, to private clinics or nursing homes.
The move comes following a sudden inspection by a team of the district administration on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday against private ambulance operators, who park their vehicles on the government hospital campus to lure patients to private healthcare centres.
Dr Singh said, “The recent surprise visit of deputy development commissioner (DDC) Ravi Anand and assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Rishabha Garg was a wake-up call. We have warned all personnel of our outsourcing agency and other manpower hired by us to refrain from any malpractice.”
A senior medical officer said, “We were told that some sahiyas have joined hands with the personnel of the outsourcing agency to lure the poor patients from the hospital to private clinics or nursing homes. In one of my night duties, I noticed that 18 or 19 patients were in various wards of our hospital but by the next morning, I was told that over half of them have been shifted to nursing homes. This is not possible without the collusion of the health personnel here.”
Sources said pregnant women, children and bone-fracture patients have been taken to private healthcare centres.
ASP Rishabha Garg said those who indulged in ferrying poor patients from MMCH to nursing homes masqueraded as visitors to the hospital to dodge officials.