Cooch Behar Medical College Pharmacy Faces Overcharging Row

Patients and their relatives held a protest at the MJN Medical College and Hospital in Cooch Behar on Wednesday over allegations of overcharging at the government fair price medicine shop. Protesters claimed that the pharmacy staff charged prices higher than the fixed rates and failed to provide proper bills for the medicines purchased.

Details of the incident

One customer alleged that they were charged 160 rupees for a medicine that had a printed price of 85 rupees. The customer further stated that the shop did not provide a receipt for the transaction. Following the protest, the shop was closed, and local police from the Kotwali police station arrived at the scene to manage the situation.

Response from management and authorities

Management at the pharmacy denied the corruption allegations, stating that the incident was caused by a calculation error made by an employee. The management confirmed that the excess money was returned to the customer and a formal bill was subsequently issued. The Medical Superintendent and Vice-Principal (MSVP) of the hospital, Sauradeep Ray, stated that he is currently out of the district for official work. He assured that a formal investigation into the matter will be conducted and necessary action will be taken.

For more information on state health facilities, residents can visit the official West Bengal Health Department website.