Patna : Pvt hospitals have more bouncers than docs: Oppn

PATNA: Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra on Tuesday raised the issue of bouncers being hired by the private hospitals in the state. Mishra, through a short notice question in the state legislative Council, cited the example of a private hospital near Saguna Mor in Patna on January 21 when media people were also thrashed by its bouncers.

“Isn’t it the fact that in many hospitals, number of bouncers have outnumbered the doctors and nursing staff and hockey sticks and iron rod are found in large numbers,” read the question. Mishra alleged that the hospital employees misbehave with the attendants and intentionally admit the patients in ICU or put them on a ventilator to mint money.

RJD MLC Ram Chandra Purbey also moved a call attention motion against the functioning of private hospitals in violation of the rules and regulations, especially those on the Bypass road.

Demanding strict action against such hospitals and clinics, Purbey said many such hospitals do not have skilled medical staff and keep the patient’s body on a ventilator even after death for the sake of money. In some cases, the hospital management keeps the body hostage when attendants fail to pay money.

Replying to Mishra’s question, health minister Mangal Pandey said the state has Bihar Clinical (Registration and regulation) Rules 2013 following the central government’s Clinical Establishment (registration and regulation) Act, 2010.

Pandey said the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Bihar Health Service Association (BHSA) have moved the Patna high court against the rules and action cannot be taken as the matter is sub judice. He also said the department had filed an interlocutory application in 2016 in this regard.

Pandey said he has been personally looking into any incident reported about a patient being harassed by the hospitals or employees.