Warning boards put up outside Nagpur hospitals over alleged touts misleading patients

The matter of alleged touts misleading patients in the name of treatment in Nagpur's Ramdaspeth and Dhantoli areas is becoming serious. Warning boards have been put up outside hospitals in the area. The boards tell patients to beware of such agents, not to be misled, and to contact their doctor directly.

It is alleged that patients who come to Nagpur for treatment from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and other states are targeted. It is said that the touts first get details from them about their illness and the hospital they have come to. They then try to persuade them to get treated at another hospital.

There is a suspicion that a commission racket may lie behind the sending of patients from one hospital to another. However, these allegations have not yet been independently verified, and a detailed investigation is necessary.

Patients and their families who come to Nagpur from far-flung areas hoping for better treatment are already struggling with illness, expense and mental stress. If they are misled, as alleged, their difficulties could increase.

The boards outside the hospitals raise several questions. Who is profiting from the compulsion of patients? Is an organised network at work behind the diversion of patients to other hospitals? And do payments and commissions play any role in this alleged touting?

Attention is now on whether the health department and the police will investigate, given the seriousness of the matter. It is considered necessary, to protect patients' interests, that the allegations of touting be investigated impartially. If any irregularity comes to light, action should be taken against those responsible as per rules.

The boards outside the hospitals carry the same advice for patients: contact your doctor directly and do not heed any unknown agent.