Nurse suspended for seeking Rs 2K bribe from pregnant woman

Thangarathinam, a nurse working at the Primary Health Center(PHC) in the village of Naalur near Minjur was accused of demanding Rs 2000 from a pregnant lady on Thursday who claimed financial assistance from the State. The nurse also allegedly demanded Rs 50 from each patient on normal days.

The patient, who refused to part with the money, alerted other patients and soon a protest broke out outside the PHC. Some of the patients and their kin locked the nurse inside a room and alerted the Minjur police.

The police, who rushed to the spot along with Medical Officer Rajesh, had sent a recommendation to to Krishnaraj, Deputy Director of Health, Thiruvallur to suspend nurse Thangarathinam. “The Medical Officer also spoke to the DD Health over the phone, following which a suspension order was sent out,” police said.

Following action from the police officers, the patients who staged the protest, dispersed from the venue. Officials from the Health Department said that the nurse had been accused of wrong treatment three months ago and action had been taken against her.