Chennai, April 16(BPNS)

Patients who are admitted at the government Covid health care  centres have complained that the lower level staff including health staff have resorted to graft and corruption from them.

Ramesh Subramanian, who was admitted at a Covid care centre at Purasawalkam while speaking to BPNS said, “The healthcare center was far off from the supermarkets and we need to get small utensils like mugs,buckets and other things. The lower level officials including compounders and nursing helps have asked money from me for these mugs and buckets. They charged 10 to 25 rupees extra for each item and we were at their mercy. The government must look into this .”

Resident association members are also raising complaints against the manner in which patients are being treated at many centres. There are complaints that even sanitation workers are charging money from residences for sanitising the premises.

Sujith Chandran, an engineer and president of Sowbhagya Lakshmi Apartments ,Anna Nagar( East) while speaking to BPNS said,” The lower level people including sanitization workers are demanding money for sanitizing homes and this is too much. At a time when people should stand united a group of people are fleecing money from the public.“

There are also further complaints from people who were admitted at Covid healthcare centres in the city.

Hasseb Mohammed who was admitted at a Covid care centre at Velachery while speaking to BPNS said ,”They were demanding money for even trivial things and I don’t know why the government authorities are not taking any action against these people who are squeezing people who are in an emotional wreck owing to the disease and isolation.”

With the government bringing up measures to fight the pandemic and its second wave, the fleecing of money by these officials is a matter of concern.

Somarajan Natarajan, an activist while speaking to BPNS said, “I am into social work for several years. While the higher authorities are into fighting the pandemic with all their efforts ,at the lower level officials are trying to make a few quick bucks even at the expense of a pandemic, This is worrisome and has to be contained.”