The nexus of touts of which allegedly arrested accused Sanjay Roy was a part also allowed him access to every ward, room, and building of the hospital.
Being a civic volunteer attached to Kolkata Police gave Roy an added advantage, and he was considered an “important man” in the tout racket.
According to the investigators, Roy, who is in mid-30s, was recruited in 2019 as a civic volunteer, and had allegedly misused his police connections. “He enjoyed easy access to all departments due to his role in the police welfare association. He would check on relatives and family members of police admitted in the hospital. On different points he was also posted in RG Kar Hospitals outpost. He used a motorbike with a Kolkata Police sticker on it. He stayed in police barrack and many civic volunteers or people working with the welfare association or community policing knew him,” said a police official.
One of the largest government hospitals in the state with 1,200 beds, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital is spread over 26 acres.
The network of touts is spread in all the sections of the hospital – from the OPDs to Emergency to admission department to laboratory. The huge rush of patients — about 2,500 patients visit the OPDs and about 1,500 the Emergency section of the hospital on a daily average.
“This tout culture is rampant in all the medical colleges of the state. They enjoy support from the local administration and due to their proximity to the ruling party representatives, they are fearless. As students, we protested against this several times. If touts are stopped from entering the hospital premises, problems caused by the outsiders can be prevented to some extent,” says Dr Sams Mushafir.
A tea-seller whose stall is outside the main gate of the hospital explains: “Everyone knows about it (the network of touts). It starts from OPDs. Every day, thousands of people from different parts of the state throng the hospital. For Rs 400 to Rs 500, one is able to avoid long queues. Touts make tickets and immediately arrange doctor visits,” said a tea seller just beside the main gate of the hospital.
The touts also offer medical tests at a low price, say patients. With 30 to 40 per cent commission (of the price of the test outside), touts arrange tests inside the hospital that may take months in normal channels, they say.
“The main income of touts comes from admissions. Due to rush and limited number of beds, most are referred to other hospitals. It costs Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for a bed here… The rates vary depending on the department and the seriousness of the disease,” says a Group D staffer at the hospital.
“For any kind of surgery at an early date, the price ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. To get a date for operation, one generally has a waiting period stretching to months,” the staffer says.
The touts also allegedly sell blood to patients at a premium price, though it is available free of cost in government blood banks. “They sell one unit of blood for more than Rs 3,000. The services that these touts provide are arranging indoor beds, trolleys, wheelchairs, attendants for patients. The nexus involves several Group D staff members at the hospital,” says a hospital employee.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Santanu Sen said, “He (Accused Roy) was part of the Welfare Board of Police. Now, what role he has in it or whether he misused it that only the board committee members can tell.”
In the past, police have arrested several touts. A year ago, ruling TMC legislator Madan Mitra had spoken about touts menace at the Sagore Dutta Medical College and Hospital in his Kamarhati Assembly constituency in Kolkata.
In 2016, a tout was arrested from RG Kar Hospital for trying to sell blood. “We regularly arrest touts. If anyone comes and complains, action will be taken. This incident is very unfortunate and it shouldn’t have happened. It is under investigation,” said a police officer.
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