Cuttack: A group of doctors and other health staff at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) is allegedly cheating persons with hearing impairment in the name of providing them US-made hearing aids.
Sources said some doctors and technicians are charging anywhere between `50,000 and `2 lakh from patients to provide them hearing aids made in USA. But, these dishonest physicians and health officials are actually supplying the patients locally-made hearing aids which cost them around `20,000, sources added.
According to sources, Sarada Prasanna Swain, a doctor at SCB’s Mental Health Institute, had consulted a senior physician of the hospital to treat his hearing-impaired father. The senior doctors had advised Swain to go for one USA-made hearing aid for his father.
Swain had collected the hearing aid from a doctor of SCBMCH which cost him around `50,000. However, later he found that the device was not working properly, sources said.
Similarly, a patient from Jajpur had spent around `2 lakh to get one foreign-made hearing tool reportedly by selling his landed properties.
It was learnt that some doctors at SCB refer hearing-impaired patients to a private clinic at Kathagola Sahi where the technicians examine the patients and persuade them to collect foreign-made devices.
Hospital superintendent Shyama Kanungo said, “No one has lodged a complaint regarding the hearing aid issue. We will take action only if someone lodges a complaint in this regard.”
Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena also expressed concern over cheating of hearing-impaired people at SCBMCH. He advised the patients to file FIRs against the dishonest health staff.
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