CHENNAI: Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital has introduced electronic payment option for patients, after it was found that the staff at the hospital were charging patients from other states and countries exorbitant fees and pocketing it themselves. Two record clerks at the admission counter were recently arrested after the hospital filed a complaint.
According to officials, the hospital has introduced electronic payment options at four places - the admission counter, hospital stoppage counter in tower I, x-ray counter in Tower III, and the medical board. People from other states and countries have to pay admission, medicine, and treatment fees, and the cost varies.
Patients who want x-ray film will have to pay Rs 50. Recently the police arrested K Kuberan of Perungalathur and R Kalaimagal of Avadi after they embezzled money by entering fake details of the amount paid by patents into the hospital records.
Police said the issue came to light when two patients hailing from different states applied for reimbursement, and claimed bills from the hospital . They found that the amount they had paid was not reflected in the receipts. In the hospital records only Rs 50 was entered even though huge amounts were collected from patients.
The police said, Kuberan had pocketed Rs 8,660, while Kalaimagal pocketed Rs 14,370 in these two instances. The hospital formed a committee to inquire into the matter, after which two record clerks were suspended as departmental action. Sources said it looks like a big network and swindling has been going on for a long time, only further investigations can confirm it.
Another staff suspended for swindling money
The hospital has suspended one more staff after they found the person at the x-ray counter was swindling money. Official sources said, during an inquiry into swindling of money, the officials came to know that the same was happening at the x-ray counter. “Suppose, if the staff collects money for four films each `50, totalling `200, in the carbon copy the staff was entering only `50, and pocketing the remaining `150. The staff has been suspended until further orders,” the source said. ENS