Exclusive: In Gorakhpur, government doctors promote private practice, leave sick unattended

Representational pic

by RAHUL SINHA

Gorakhpur: Despite the increasing death toll of children in Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College, a sting operation by Zee News has revealed that government hospital doctors have been busy running private clinics, instead of helping the suffering patients.

Over 290 children have died at the hospital from August 1 till August 28, including at least 77 from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

In the last few weeks, accusations of the now suspended Dr Kafeel Khan, then head of the encephalitis ward in the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, busy running a private clinic, is seen as one of the reasons why the tragic deaths occurred. But Dr Khan is not alone.

Here's the exclusive story that proves how malpractice has played a part in the death of over 60 children in a Gorakhpur hospital earlier this month:

Zee News undercover reporter, pretending to be a person from the lower economic strata, found out that top government doctors are blatantly flouting rules and running their own private clinics. Moreover, these doctors are asking healthy patients to pay for unnecessary medicines and tests. Here are the doctors, we encountered:

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 (our reporter) entered the private clinic where sources told him Dr Shahi was operating from.

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 to keep quiet about this.

It took over one hour before the meeting with Dr Shahi took place. Our reporter, though healthy, 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 our reporter wanted treatment it was best to come 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 important post responsible for the care of children. But once again, sources told us he was to be found at his private clinic. Our reporter, this time, decided to change his story and told the man at the clinic about the story of a child in his family eating cement from the wall. The man, acting as the go between, demanded Rs 500, which he affixed on the doctor's prescription note, and then sent our 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.

Dr Tahiri is not alone. The sting operation revealed that many senior doctors working in the same government hospital, run private clinics as well.