Case of illegal recovery of lakhs in Ballia hospital

Uttar Pradesh: Serious allegations of illegal extortion in the name of issuing birth certificates have surfaced at the Ballia District Women’s Hospital. A viral video on social media has brought the matter into the spotlight, showing a hospital employee demanding 250 rupees for a birth certificate. This incident has raised questions about the functioning of the health department. It is alleged that the District Women’s Hospital has been illegally extorting money from patients and their families in the name of birth certificates for a long time. According to local residents, 250 to 300 rupees were charged for each certificate. Estimates suggest that this amount reaches thousands of rupees daily in many cases, adding up to lakhs of rupees over a month and a year. However, these figures have not been officially confirmed and are merely estimates based on allegations. The biggest question is why patients were being charged when the government-mandated birth certificate issuance process is completely free. Regarding this matter, Dr. Rakesh Chandra, CMS in charge of the District Women’s Hospital, stated that no fee is charged for birth certificates. He clarified that if any employee is found involved in such extortion, departmental action as well as legal action will be taken against them. Local residents also say that similar complaints have surfaced in the past, but the matter subsides after some time. It is alleged that due to the small amounts involved, people refrain from complaining, allowing such activities to continue for a long time. Now, many questions are being raised about this entire matter. If the hospital administration’s claims are true, then who is the employee demanding money in the viral video, and at whose behest? Furthermore, questions arise: if complaints have been received in the past, why has concrete action not been taken? At present, the Health Department has stated that an investigation will be conducted into the matter. Only after the investigation will it be clear whether the allegations in the viral video are true and who is responsible. Till then this matter raises serious questions on the system and transparency of the hospital.