DVAC sleuths conduct raids on 10 govt hospitals, seize cash

The raids were carried out in two hospitals - Kasthuriba Gandhi Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital - in Chennai, besides government hospitals in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Dindigul, Thanjavur, Madurai, Cuddalore, Erode and Salem, a DVAC press release said on Friday.

DVAC sources said that the raids resulted in seizure of unaccounted cash from hospital staff and other departments, including labour wards and mortuary room.

The raids were conducted based on specific information that the employees in the hospitals, particularly the lower level Group D staff, were demanding money from the attendants of the patients in the labour wards to provide details about the time of birth of new born babies and their gender.

“We also found that many technicians were not in their respective seats when the raids were carried out. We have collected all the details of the absent employees, who had signed in attendance register but were not to be seen on the hospital premises,” a senior DVAC official noted.

There were also allegations against the hospital staff that they demand money for ‘every service,’ be it taking X-rays or to release bodies from the mortuaries, though the treatment and services were supposed to be free of cost in government hospitals.

In some hospitals, the sleuths found the members of public strongly pointing fingers at certain employees alleging that they were demanding money. Though the seizure of money may not be in large quantity, all the cash seized was squeezed by the staff from poor patients.

For the patients, who visit a government hospital even Rs 50 is a big amount, official noted.

The idea behind raids was to create an impact socially. “We think the greedy staff in the government hospitals would stop demanding money from poor patients for some time to come. We would summon the employees and conduct inquiries with them,” the official added.