UP health worker sacked for charging patients Re 1 extra

Allegedly charging patients Rs 2 instead of the stipulated fee of Re 1 at a Community Health Centre (CHC) has cost a contractual employee his job in Maharajganj in eastern Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

The pharmacist was dismissed following an unannounced inspection by local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Prem Sagar Patel at the Jagdaur CHC on Monday. The Siswa legislator said he had received complaints from the public regarding irregularities at the state-run health facility.

During his inspection, Patel discovered that patients were allegedly being charged Rs 2 instead of the official Re 1 for prescriptions by the pharmacist. Purported videos of the MLA's "surprise inspection" of the CHC have surfaced on social media.

Patel said he interacted with patients and their families and learned about other issues at the facility, including alleged delays in receiving government aid for childbirth, the absence of female doctors at night, and the practice of prescribing medicines from external medical stores.

"How dare you charge one rupee more from the poor patients?" Patel was heard telling the pharmacist in one of the videos circulating on social media.

Later in the day, the District Health Department officials confirmed that the pharmacist, identified as Sanjay, was a contractual employee hired by a third-party agency.

"The services of the employee involved in overcharging have been terminated," Additional Chief Medical Officer Rajendra Prasad told PTI on Monday evening.

In one of the purported video clips, Patel was heard telling the CHC staff that he hails from a village and understands what "poverty and helplessness" feel like.

"So there is no need for you to explain to me what was going on. I know it," the BJP MLA told the staff.