Act against private hospitals looting patients : CPI

Karimnagar: Communist Party of India (CPI) district secretary Ponuganti Kedari alleged that many private hospitals present in the district are looting innocent people by collecting huge amounts of money from them in the name of medical tests and medicines.

CPI leaders tried to lay siege the chamber of District Medical and Health Officer here on Monday demanding the officials to take immediate action on such private hospitals that are looting the patients.

Speaking on the occasion, P Kedari alleged that the health officials are behaving negligently when viral fevers, dengue and malaria are spreading at an alarming rate across the district. Due to lack of arrangements in the government hospitals and no signs of organising medical camps in villages and colonies, which are identified as high risk prone areas, the patients are visiting the district headquarters and consulting private doctors, who in turn looting the patients in name of medical tests and prescribing them expensive medicines, he pointed out.

Moreover, lack of sufficient health staff at Primary Health Centres at mandal headquarters across the district forcing the people to rush to private hospitals.The private hospitals, who are hiring some of RMP doctors on commission basis, attracting the patients from rural areas and running medical mafia in the district, Kedari criticised.

He demanded the health officials to keep strict vigil on such private hospitals that are running medical mafia and to arrangement necessary facilities in all government run hospitals. He also warned of severe agitation if the officials continue to neglect in taking immediate action against such private hospitals.

CPI leaders K Shoba Rani, Srujan Kumar, Ashok, Sammiah, Babu, Raji Reddy, Mahendar, Buchhanna, Komaraiah, Manikanta Reddy, Thirupathi, Ugandhar, Ramesh, Raju, Kalyan, Chary, Sada Shiva, Srinvas Reddy, and Ram Chandram were present along with others.