A case has been registered against three people, including a female doctor from Namco Cancer Hospital, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe from the family of a patient who was receiving treatment under the government’s Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.
The complaint was filed by a yellow ration card holder, whose wife underwent surgery at Namco Cancer Hospital on Peth Road, Nashik. According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), after the surgery, Medical Superintendent Dr. Vishakha Jahagirdar allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹30,000 to discharge the patient from the hospital. The family paid ₹9,000 initially.
Following this, the ACB took action on May 7 to verify the bribe demand. During the verification, the accused again demanded ₹21,000, of which ₹11,000 was accepted. At the time, hospital staff member Gayatri Somvanshi was also present in Dr. Jahagirdar’s office.
Based on this, a case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act at Panchavati Police Station. While the bribe amount has been seized during the verification process, the mobile phones of Dr. Jahagirdar and the female cashier have not yet been confiscated, the ACB said.
This incident has raised serious concerns about financial exploitation of patients under the government’s free health scheme meant for low-income families.