Probe ordered into bribery charges against doctor in Goalpara Civil Hospital

GOALPARA, July 30 - To assess the quality of health services and patient care system, Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka recently paid a surprise visit to the 200-bed Goalpara Civil Hospital and inspected various wards and sections of the hospital.

Deka also interacted with various patients in the wards to get a first-hand feedback on the level of medical services provided to them, but expressed her displeasure when one attendant Md Amzad Ali of a post Lower Section Caesarean Section (LSCS) case from the maternity ward came up with a petition alleging that one Dr Anjumanara Ahmed (Diploma in Maternal Health) Senior M &HO had taken a bribe of Rs 5,000 for conducting a delivery through caesarean of his wife.

Upon receiving the complaint, Deputy Commissioner Deka further investigated the remaining four such LSCS patients under treatment of the said doctor and found that another attendant Anowara Khatun alleged that her son-in-law was also compelled to pay a bribe of Rs 1,500 to the said doctor for conducting operation of her daughter.

Meanwhile, an FIR was lodged against the erring doctor jointly by the Joint Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr Nilmadhab Das and Superintendent of Goalpara Civil Hospital Dr Shymalendu Das. But it is later learnt from reliable sources that there was pressure from various quarters to hush up the entire matter as the complainant Md Amzad Ali retracted from his earlier stand.

Talking to this Correspondent, Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka said that she was surprised to come across patients in the government hospital who were forced to pay bribes to doctors for ensuring quality services.

To prevent recurrence of such underlying corrupt practices in the civil hospital and in all the health centres of the district, she was planning more such surprise visits in the future.

She also informed that after going through the details, she has constituted an enquiry team comprising Shyamanta Rabi Bara, SDO (S) and Circle Officer, Rongjuli and Dr Bhanu Saikia, Additional Chief Medical and Health Officer to submit a report to her within three days.

Meanwhile, she informed the matter to higher authorities for initiating strict action against the corrupt official.

Deka also assured the general public of better healthcare services free of cost and urged the hospital administration to deal with cases of complaints strictly and also focus on providing quality services so that peoples� trust on the healthcare system is reposed.

Meanwhile, officials in the Health Department revealed that even they were aware of certain doctors, nurses and staff asking for bribes, but they could not act against them as there were no written complaints from patients.

Noni Das, a social activist said that there are many cases of forced referral of patients to private nursing homes as patients from nearby State of Meghalaya and from Barpeta, Bongaigoan districts etc., come for treatment to the hospital. He also alleged that the management of the hospital could not provide all the medical facilities to the patients and greed seems to be the only reason why doctors and other staff engage themselves in corrupt practices in Goalpara Civil Hospital.