Poor patients are being cheated by some employees at some Primary Health centres across Kashmir, thereby playing with their lives and authorities must take cognizance of it, the Private diagnostic centre Association said on Tuesday.
President of the Association Umar Dhar while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that some employees at health centers dupe patients by asking them that these tests can be conducted at private labs only.
He said that employees aren’t sending these samples anywhere and instead make reports themselves without conducting tests.
He said that one such incident has come to the fore recently in which the husband of the patient has written to them and the government authorities to investigate the matter at the earliest.
A letter was written by the husband of the patient to SHO Safa Kadal and a copy of which has been sent to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Director Health Services Kashmir, Chief Medical officer Srinagar and private diagnostic centre association his wife namely Shaheena was supposed to go for AANC check-up and undersigned attended OPD at PHC Narwara on 4.2.2022 under MRD NO: ANC392, wherein the concerned doctor advised for the tests like Bleeding Time, HIV, Blood Group, HbSAg, VDRL, TSH and Prolactin levels to evaluate the patient’s condition.
“While going to provide the samples in the laboratory, it was said that the person has gone for prayers being Friday and I was asked to attend the laboratory on next day i.e. Saturday,the 5th of Feb.2022. The undersigned along with my wife went to the laboratory section on 5th February 2022 where Mudasir (Mobile No:9596385573) was on duty and took the samples besides said that he will get the tests not being done at PHC evaluated himself especially TSH/Prolactin Levels which for the convenience of providing sample resulted into trust and convenience of my ailing wife,” It adds.
“Since the next day was Sunday, the undersigned went to collect the results on Monday wherein I was handed over the reports on the letter head of Modern Diagnostic & Research Centre, Karan Nagar Srinagar. As a part to confirm the reports whether performed at the said Diagnostic & Research Centre wherein Mr.Vipin conveyed that the report has not been issued from this laboratory and tantamount to crime under law,” the letter reads.
“It is pertinent to mention here that the envelope in which the Modern Diagnostic & Research Centre reports were handed over to the undersigned included GK lab. It explains dimensions of crime where most of the hidden inhuman gangsters must be damaging the system and health at large of the poor people. It needs in-depth investigations and conclusions,” It adds.
“Having been conveyed about the fraudulent code of conduct of Mudasir by the concerned laboratory representative, I even tried to check online but all in vain as the letter head had been misused by the concerned which absolutely is fraud, crime and such irregularities must be even part of today at every such level wherein the innocent patients are being mislead by such criminals and that too the reports even cannot be trusted while using letter heads of some lab and readings must have been calculated by unconstitutional way of ethics thereby earning hefty amounts involving human lives,” It reads.
“Sir, it is high time to calculate such fraudulent technicians who are cheating and deceiving the poor patients and charging huge sums to retain their irrelevant and criminal tendencies which shall one day be the disaster uncontrolled. It is highly requested to investigate as to why he has been indulging into such crimes and where from the letterhead is being misused besides taking cognizance of such criminal activities around the other districts, if any so that poor patients are not being cheated or deceived to the extent involving lives of people at large,” It states further.
Umar Dhar said that they have been receiving such complaints on a daily basis and has repeatedly requested the government to look into the matter but nothing has been done as of now.
“Patients are also responsible for it as they are just handing over their samples to persons who have nothing to do with examination of samples due to which it creates problems for those diagnostic centres who have been working well,” he said.
He said that despite repeated requests to concerned authorities no attention is being given towards this issue at an earliest otherwise such things can prove dangerous.
“Association must be taken into confidence to stop such things in Kashmir and authorities must take action against persons and employees who are duping people instead of raiding diagnostic centres who are working as per norms,” he said—(KNO)