Patna: Allegations of unauthorised fee collection have surfaced at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC), where some staff are accused of demanding money from patients and attendants in the name of medical tests and quicker processing, despite provisions for free or nominal-cost treatment at govt hospitals. The claims have once again drawn attention to persistent complaints of patients being misled into making payments that are neither mandatory nor officially sanctioned.According to patients and attendants, money is being collected for routine cardiac diagnostics. An attendant, Ashok Kumar, said he was asked to pay Rs 200 for a treadmill test (TMT) and was not issued a receipt. “We were told to pay Rs 200 for the TMT. We have no idea whether this was the govt fee or illegal extortion. Since everyone was paying, we too gave the money as we did not want the treatment to get delayed,” he said.Another patient, Mohammad Asim, made a similar claim. “I paid Rs 200 for the TMT. For a Holter test, they were asking Rs 600. When I enquired, I was told the fee was for electrodes used in the TMT and batteries used in the Holter, but no receipt was given. Tell me, at which shop is a pencil battery sold for Rs 600? They are taking such a high amount in the name of batteries,” he said, adding that he had visited IGIC for heart-related treatment.When questioned, a staff member said the electrodes and batteries were being arranged from the market and patients were being charged accordingly. However, disposable electrodes are commonly available for around Rs 3 to Rs 10 per piece, and about eight electrodes are typically used for a TMT, raising questions over the basis of the illegal fees being collected.IGIC director Dr Suni Kumar said the staff might be charging because they are providing electrodes and batteries to patients. When asked about the higher amount of money allegedly being charged and the availability of such basic items at a dedicated cardiac hospital, he said he was not aware of the market price and declined to comment further before ending the call.The episode has also raised concerns about basic supply availability at the state’s cardiac hospital, as patients from across Bihar depend on IGIC for specialised care.After being informed about the alleged collections, health secretary Kumar Ravi said the matter would be investigated. “Illegal extortion in any govt hospital will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against staff found involved in such practices,” he warned.Unauthorised collections in public hospitals are seen as violations of official healthcare policy and medical ethics, and patients from low-income backgrounds are considered especially vulnerable due to their limited ability to verify official rates or challenge such demands.
