Gorakhpur: Despite restriction, doctors at BRD hospital have private practices

Gorakhpur [India], Aug 15 (ANI): In another shocking evidence highlighting the painful condition of Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College where over 70 children have died, it has been revealed that several doctors at the hospital offer private services to the patients at their residence, despite strict restriction on it by the government. As per the rules of the hospital, the permanent doctors are not allowed to conduct private practices whatsoever. Whereas the contract based doctors can follow such practices but only after completing their working hours and it is important for them to provide proper information about the same to the state government. "The issue of private practice has been raised number of times earlier. A few years ago, no one had any private practice as such. But in a VIP case, a doctor cannot say no to examine the patient at home, but that cannot be termed as a private practice," said the ex-Principle of the BRD medical college K.P. Kushwaha. Kushwaha also expressed disappointment over the tragedy and said that never in the history of the college has its image has been tainted. "Even in 2005, there was an epidemic. But still everything was handled very smoothly," he said. Interestingly even the newly appointed Nodal officer of pediatric department, Dr. Bhupendra Sharma examines patients at his residence. However, when asked about the same, Dr. Sharma flatly rejected the report and refused to make any comment on camera. But ANI encountered with a long queue of parents waiting with their children for being examined by Dr. Sharma at his residence. The father of one of the patients said that they used to visit BRD medical college 4 years ago. Then someone from the hospital administration suggested him to take his child to the doctor's residence saying that the, "the child will get better treatment at home as compared to the hospital." Where the services in the government hospital are free of cost, the doctors charge Rs 300 for examining the patient at their residence or private clinics. "The doctor will come here till 2 pm. They have charged me Rs 300. From past four years I am coming here. He is treating my child at home. The doctors at the hospital were not examining properly. Within two minutes they used to send us back," said Surendar Kushwaha, father one of the patients waiting outside Dr. Sharma's house. It is not just Dr. Sharma, who offers private services to the patients at his home, but other doctors of the hospital also indulging in this practice. None of the doctors though agreed to face the camera and give clarification over the long queue of the people waiting for them for treatment at their residence. Dr. Abhishek Singh is another such name who made it to this list of doctors running private clinics. Dr. Singh, who is employed on a contractual basis at BRD, practices at Rana hospital. Dr. Singh himself confirmed that he is on contractual basis and is completely eligible to do private practice. "I am eligible to practice outside the BRD hospital and I attend the patients after 5 p.m. at Rana hospital," he said. But when the team of ANI visited the Rana hospital, it was revealed that Singh reaches there around 4 p.m. and even pays a visit during day time in case of emergencies. A similar picture was seen at the residence of Dr. R.K. Sahi. Though Dr. Sahi was not available to comment on the same, his wife rejected the claim of private practice, despite the fact that a huge number of patients were waiting in line outside his house. "No Dr. Sahi doesn't attend these patients. His younger brother and his wife are also doctors these patients are waiting for them. They live nearby, they attend the patients at both the places," she claimed. It is very clear that the doctors of the BRC College offers personal services to the patients and it is hard to accept that the hospital authority is unaware of the fact. Surprisingly no action has ever been taken against them so far. (ANI)