Kolkata: Thousands of patients and their families at govt hospitals fall prey to touts who extract money by promising them admission or even for basic facilities like oxygen cylinders, doctors’ appointment, faster diagnostic tests. They even charge a premium for arranging ambulances and hearses.
“Treatment, tests and medicines are free in govt hospitals but the touts charge money to expedite the process.They use their contacts at the hospitals and in return share the ‘profit’ with them,” said an official at a govt hospital.
According to a cop posted in one of the hospitals, the touts operate with the help of some group D and non-medical staffers at the lower level. “The touts gather information about vacant beds in different departments from the staffers and use them to strike deals with patients. Their proximity with the insiders enable them to offer facilities like personal attendants, extra food for patients and other services not available to the rest of the patients,” said the official.
Most hospitals now have police outposts but touts continue to operate at will. On Saturday, TOI visited some govt hospitals and spoke to the patients’ families about their plight. Musaraf Hossain, a trader from Rajabazar, paid Rs 2,000 for a bed for his wife undergoing treatment at Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata. “Three days ago, I brought my wife as she needed an uterus surgery. No bed was available. I ran from pillar to post to get one. A tout finally helped me get one for Rs 2,000,” he said.
Similarly, Chinsurah resident Somnath Maiti rued: “My father is on oxygen support at NRS and I had a tough time arranging an oxygen cylinder for him. I am paying Rs 100 more for every cylinder to a tout.”
Shefali Mondal, a resident of Habra, whose elderly husband is a neurological patient, alleged that she had to pay Rs 200 to a tout for a doctor’s appointment at Medical College. “Initially, the tout asked for Rs 500. I requested him for a concession and he agreed to charge Rs 200,” she said.
Manash Das from Bankura paid Rs 5,000 to get his aunt admitted to Medical College. “She was referred from Bankura Sammilani Medical College for an immediate surgery and there was no bed available. A tout approached me, promising me to get a bed for her if I paid him the money. I had no other option but to accept his offer,” he said.