The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hospitals caution blast victims’ kin against touts

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Friday, Sep 19, 2008
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Hospitals caution blast victims’ kin against touts

Staff Reporter

Told to be vigilant and listen only to the hospital staff

Touts are not only duping them, but are also bringing in ‘fake patients’

NEW DELHI: While last Saturday evening’s serial blasts in the city brought Delhiites together as they reached out to help the victims, their place has now been taken over by touts at many hospitals.

These touts have been duping relatives of blast victims stationed outside hospitals and are also bringing in “fake patients’ to claim compensation announced by the Centre and the Delhi Government.

“We had a case on Wednesday where a person who identified himself as Vinod Kumar came to the hospital claiming to be a blast victim. He said he was injured in the recent serial blasts. But after police verification it was found that the man was injured in a road accident the same evening and he had hurt his left forearm,” said Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Chief Medical Officer (Emergency Services) S. K. Sharma.

Dr. Sharma said the hospital authorities got suspicious when he started asking about compensation. “He had come to the hospital on Saturday evening and had got an out-patient-department slip. He said the hospital had forgotten to include him in the list of blast victims and was demanding that he be included in it. But we found out that he was not a blast victim,” added Dr. Sharma.

Doctors have cautioned relatives of the victims to be careful.

“We have received complaints from relatives of victims about people who were trying to dupe them. These people have been talking to the relatives of patients and promising them all kind of things, including drugs cheaper than the market rate. We appeal to relative of victims to be vigilant and listen only to the hospital staff. All medicines and treatment requirement of the victims is being taken care of by the hospital,” added a senior doctor at RML Hospital.

“RML Hospital is catering to the bulk of blast victims and in view of this new threat we have shifted all the patients into one area with increased security there. We are allowing only the relatives to enter the ward area so that patients are not troubled by these elements. We appeal to Delhiites to be vigilant and inform the police or hospital authorities when they spot any such people,” said Dr. Sharma.

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