Pappu Yadav 'prescribes' fee for Bihar doctors

Medical practitioners to face heat if they do not comply with order

Controversial MP Pappu Yadav has “prescribed” fees for all the doctors in the state and asked them to adhere to his decree or be ready to face the consequences in the form of agitation as well as legal action.

The Lok Sabha member from Bihar’s Madhepura constituency has fixed Rs 150 as fee for MBBS doctors, Rs 200 for MD/MS and Rs 300 for senior and experienced doctors. 

“No doctor should charge more than this (the rate fixed). Besides, all the doctors indulging in private practice will have to give receipt to the patients. Everywhere in the world you get a receipt against cash payment. But in case of doctors doing private practice in Bihar, there is not a single case where a patient gets receipt after paying the fees,” said Pappu, expressing his angst over the deteriorating medical services here. 

Calling the doctors “lootera” (robber), Pappu said, “Ninety per cent of the doctors do not attend government hospitals. They force patients to come to their private clinic.” To buttress his point, he cited the rates for x-ray, pathological test and other medical tests which should have been actually one-fourth of the present amount. “How can a poor person afford so much money,” questioned Pappu, who has a Robinhood-type image in his fiefdom. 

More than 15 years ago, when sufficient power was not allocated to Bihar, Purnia remained lighted simply because Pappu Yadav was then Lok Sabha MP from Purnia. The state electricity board officials, to escape Pappu’s wrath, would supply power to Purnia during Lalu-Rabri era. His diktat against doctors is seen in this backdrop. 

Though no minister or bureaucrat from Health Department has joined issue with Pappu’s “prescription” for doctors, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has reacted strongly. “We will defy Pappu’s diktat. This is entirely undemocratic conduct by a public representative. No one can impose his will, nor can anyone terrorise us,” said Dr I D Singh, secretary of the IMA here.