Cuttack: The Commissionerate Police Sunday claimed to have arrested five middlemen from two state-run hospitals in the Silver City here.
“We have arrested five middlemen from two state-run hospitals in Cuttack within last 24 hours. These middlemen were diverting patients from government hospitals to private hospitals,” said Cuttack Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Prateek Singh.
According to police, an ailing minor girl had been shifted to a private hospital from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Postgraduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishu Bhawan) here at the behest of some middlemen a few days ago. The minor girl had died in the private hospital.
A complaint in this regard was filed with Lalbag police. The incident was also brought to the notice of the Chief Minister and Health Minister through tweets.
“Taking the incident seriously, Lalbag police kept an eye on the activities of middlemen at Sishu Bhawan. The policemen nabbed four middlemen and produced them in a local court,” said a police officer.
The four arrested persons were identified as Bishwabhusan Pani and Haraprakash Das of Chandinichowk area, Milan Ghadei of Alishabazar and Manas Kumar Das of Baramba. “These four accused were trying to cheat the relatives of a patient by identifying themselves as Sishu Bhawan employees. They have been booked under Sections 419, 420, 120-B and 34 of the IPC,” said the police officer.
Similarly, Mangalabag police arrested a middleman while he was diverting a patient from the casualty ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital to a private hospital. “The arrested has been identified as Jitendra Sethi of Banki area. He has been booked under Sections 419 and 420 of the IPC,” said an official of Mangalabag police.
Notably, the police had launched a crackdown on middlemen operating at various government hospitals in the Silver City here last year. Several middlemen were arrested during the drive. However, police have failed to keep tab on the activities of middlemen at state-run hospitals since the coronavirus-induced lockdown in March this year, said a source.