Kurnool Vigilance and Enforcement SP Sivakoti Baburao and staff arrested three persons allegedly treating patients in the guise of doctors and sealed the JP Children’s and Superspeciality Hospital in Kurnool and Vijaya Gowri Hospital at Adoni run by them on Tuesday.
Narendra, a B.Tech. graduate who earlier worked as a PRO of a reputed hospital, claimed himself as Dr. Nagendra Prasad, MBBS, MD and set up the JP Children’s and Superspeciality Hospital here in 2015, Mr. Babu Rao told The Hindu . His wife Jyothi, who studied up to Intermediate, claimed herself as MBBS, DCH and treated patients. Narendra started Vijaya Gowri Hospital at Adoni where his brother-in-law Raghu, a B.Com graduate, treated patients in the name of Dr. Ranganath, MBBS, MD, the Vigilance and Enforcement SP said.
Decoy operation
On getting reliable information about the quacks, a home guard was sent as a decoy and Narendra administered IV fluids saying he was weak. The Vigilance SP also sent a healthy woman to the JP hospital, where Raghu prescribed scanning and medicines for stomach ache and when she later went to the Vijaya Gowri Hospital, Narendra scanned her stomach and suggested surgery.
The three would be handed over to the police for further action, Mr. Babu Rao said.
Probe into licence issuance
In charge DMHO Y. Narasimhulu verified the records and told the Vigilance officials that the DMHO office gave a temporary licence for the JP Hospital in 2015 and the Drug Inspector issued a licence for the medical shop. The Vigilance SP said an inquiry would be undertaken on how licences were issued without verifying their antecedents and qualifications.
The hospitals claimed ₹32 lakh as ESI reimbursement in the last nine months, according to Mr. Babu Rao. The quacks, however, did not perform surgeries but entrusted the task to surgeons, he added.
