Woman petitions collector against ART staffer for cheating

A 26-year-old woman who recently gave birth, petitioned the district administration on Monday seeking action against a counsellor of the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) Centre in the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH), alleging that the temporary staff had collected `14,500 for medicine and treatment that is provided free at the hospital.

Vijayalakshmi, wife of Dhanasekaran of Gudiyattam, said that she gave birth to her second son on November 4 at the Government Hospital at Gudiyattam. As the baby had not cried after birth, the doctors referred the new-born child to the GVMCH, at Adukkamparai, where it was admitted to the intensive care unit. During the treatment, Jamuna, a counsellor attached to ART Centre, accosted Vijayalakshmi and demanded Rs 14,800, that she collected on four occasions, on pretext of buying medicines for the child’s treatment, said the petitioner.

However, on November 16, when the child was discharged, she came to know that Jamuna had cheated her as the treatment and medicines were free.

“I immediately approached senior doctors and urged them help me get my money back,” said Vijayalakshmi.

The doctors told Vijayalakshmi that Jamuna was part of ART, commissioned by Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), and asked her to take up the issue with the TANSACS head office in Egmore, Chennai.

Sources in the hospital said Jamuna had cheated several poor patients at the hospital.

However, till date, no action has been taken against her by senior officials of TANSACS.

Collector P Sankar, after going through the petition, assured the young mother that he would look into the case and take action.