Unshaken by tragedy, Gorakhpur's govt docs extort patients in private clinics

Private malpractice has played a part in the tragic death of over 60 children in a Gorakhpur hospital earlier this month. Accusations that the now suspended Dr Kafeel Khan, then head of the encephalitis ward in the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, was too busy running a private clinic, is seen as one of the reasons why the tragic deaths occured. But Dr Khan is not alone.

A sting operation by Zee News revealed that top government doctors here blatantly flout rules by setting up private clinics and frighten healthy patients into paying for medicines and tests they don't need. Rajendra Kumar Shahi, BRD Medical College A senior government doctor at the hospital, Dr Shahi had denied to the media, post the Gorakhpur tragedy, that he was running a private clinic. But facts proved otherwise. Disguised as a labourer, Suresh, this reporter entered the ‘private clinic' from where sources had told him Dr Shahi was said to be operating.

The reporter encountered two men who handed out patients a piece of paper. What was interesting to note was the paper had the stamp of Neelkanth Hospital, a private hospital. They told patients be quiet about this.

It took over one hour before the meeting with Dr Shahi took place. This healthy reporter was examined, as Dr Shahi was blunt - he needed to be tested. “Don't risk it. Money is not that big a thing, health is,” Dr Shahi said.

Dr V Chandra, Gorakhpur District Medical Hospital Dr V Chandra is a doctor at the Gorakhpur District Medical Hospital. But sources stated that if this reporter wanted treatment it was best to come here to his private clinic. Despite the examination, which should have shown that there was nothing wrong with Suresh, Dr Chandra referred him to a pathology lab called LN Pathology where he would have to go to get tested for typhoid. And finally, he demanded Rs 400 as fees, a huge sum for BPL patients.

Dr Tahir Qureshi, Deputy CMO, Kushinagar state hospital Being the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tahir holds an especially important post regarding the care of children. But once again, sources told us he was to be found at his private clinic The reporter, this time, decided to change his story and told the man at the clinic with a story about a child in his family eating cement from the wall. The man, acting as the go between, demanded Rs 500, on which he affixed on a piece of paper, which was the doctor's prescription note, and then sent this reporter inside Dr Tahir's room.

Once inside, the reporter saw Dr Tahir dealing with 10-12 patients at the same time. A number of prescriptions, each affixed with a Rs 500 note, were on the table through which Dr Tahir saw the patients one by one. Dr Tahiri is not alone. The sting operation revealed that many senior doctors working in the same government hospital, run private clinics as well.