Hospital staff face probe for fake certificates and bribes

Noida: The chief medical superintendent of the government-run Dr B R Ambedkar hospital in Noida has ordered an inquiry into allegations of its staff issuing fake medical certificates, even X-ray plates, and forging documents in exchange for money.
On May 25, a private news channel ran a report on a fake X-ray (of a fractured bone) offered by a hospital staffer for Rs 20,000 in place of a regular X-ray to a person who had been involved in a fight in a Greater Noida village.After negotiations, the amount was brought down to Rs 8,000 by the staffer, with a supplementary to be provided by a doctor in the hospital. It was followed by a slew of similar complaints from residents, who accused some staff members of the Sector 30 hospital of fraudulent practices.
Sandeep Bacheti, a resident of Sector 12, said, "When my neighbour went to the hospital for a medical certificate for his daughter's admission to Bal Bharti School, he was asked to pay Rs 50,000 which was finally reduced to Rs 10,000. But my neighbour chose not to pay the amount and got the certificate from another doctor."
The RWA federation strict action against the staffers. "Providing fake medical certificates for a charge has become the norm there. There have been complaints of medicines sold outside the hospital by contractual staff as well. On top of that, no birth or death certificate is issued without a charge," said Suresh Tiwari, senior vice-president of Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Associations.
N M Mathur, chief medical superintendent (CMS) of the hospital, denied all the charges but said, "An inquiry committee has been set up under the chairmanship of Dr M C Garg to probe the issue. We have also removed the doctor in question (caught in the sting) from the emergency shift and put him in the general ward till the issue is investigated and versions of both sides are verified," Mathur told TOI.
The RWA federation, which has conducted periodic surveys of the hospital, also complained of the lack of basic facilities such as ICU, burns ward, to medicines, emergency staff and adequate doctors at the hospital.