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TINSUKIA: At a time when some medical officers and doctors of IMA are voluntarily extending help to COVID patients who want home isolation and the Tinsukia district administration capping the fees for home isolation counselling at Rs 500 per consultation, subject to an upper limit of Rs 2,000 for 10 days per patient, a private practitioner, Dr Rajesh Sharma allegedly charged Rs 10,000 from two COVID patients for signing home quarantine protocol. This has evoked strong reaction among the medico fraternity.
In a complaint to the Tinsukia district administration on Tuesday, Pankaj Agarwal, the relative of the two patients - Prakash Agarwal (37) and Tara Devi Agarwal (58), residents of Subachoni Road, stated that they were tested positive on September 5 and sought home isolation. When approached to get the paper signed as per COVID protocol, Dr Sharma took Rs 10,000 for two persons (Rs 5,000 each) saying that it was Tinsukia IMA's prescribed fixed charge for signing. He added that he used to charge Rs 20,000 earlier. An audio conversation between Pankaj Agarwal's brother, Rohit and Dr Rajesh Sarma corroborates the statement.
Though Dr Prasant Agarwal, secretary of Tinsukia branch of IMA, could not be contacted, a former president of Tinsukia IMA termed Dr Sharma's claim as ridiculous. Meanwhile, the Tinsukia district administration, on receiving the complaint, is learnt to have initiated inquiry against the erring doctor.
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