Pune: In a strange incident, a patient at Jehangir Hospital and his brother were duped by a person who disguised himself as a doctor. The person called up the patient's brother and urgently asked him to pay for an important part required for the operation, which was being ordered from Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. This incident took place on Sunday night.
U N Sonawane, inspector in-charge of Bund Garden police station said, "A techie (41) from Bangalore came to Jehangir Hospital for the treatment of his sister, who is a heart patient. His sister has been admitted at Jehangir Hospital for heart valve replacement surgery. On Sunday, around 11 am he received a call from a person who personated himself as Dr Vinay Apte and demanded Rs50,000 for ordering an important part which will be required for his sister's surgery from Breach Candy Hospital on urgent bases. As it is Sunday he directed him to be present near taxi stand near railway station and directed to handover the amount to Mustafa, a taxi driver. But later the patient's brother realised that no such part was required and he was conned.
Sub-inspector Ashok Wagh who is investigating the case said, "The patient's brother approached us and we try to locate the man from the number which he had dialed but in vain as the number belonged to a taxi driver from whom the conman had borrowed his mobile. Later he had stole the sim card from his mobile handset. We suspect the person might be operating in gang, who were continuously keeping a watch on the hospital patients. We have also approached the hospital in this regard but they have no clue of such incident. We will be inspecting CCTV cameras of the hospital and try to zero down the suspect there."
He added, "Someone might have got the information by continuously observing the patients who came to the hospital. He must have entered the hospital by claiming himself to be a patient's relative and somehow obtained the techie's number. He had purposely called him up at night to give him a sense of emergency, so that he pays the amount immediately.
When dna contacted Jehangir Hospital authorities they refused to speak about this incident.
Here are some do's and don'ts which should be followed by the patients relatives in hospitals.
Do's
The patient should not be left alone for too long, especially if he has a cell phone or other valuables with him.
Ensure that the patient is not wearing any valuable jewellery.
Relatives should cooperate with hospitals in security checks.
Don'ts
Patients or their relatives should not to entertain strangers in the room and only talk to the consulting doctor or assigned nurses.
Conmen often approach relatives as staffers and say that they can get the bill reduced for a commission. After paying up, people realise they have been conned. People should not trust such people.
Do not wear any valuables when you go to visit a patient.
Do not talk about your personal valuables with any hospital staff.
Relatives of the patients should not leave their bags or other valuables like cellphones unattended.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}