‘Engage female technicians to conduct echocardiography on women’

kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) will issue a new advisory to private hospitals strictly directing them to engage female technicians to conduct echocardiography and other procedures on female patients.

WBCERC heard a case on Monday in which a woman patient complained against Fortis Hospital saying that a male technician performed echocardiography on her in absence of any female technician.

The patient told the commission that she did not raise any protest as it was urgent for her to undergo the procedure. WBCERC has asked the Fortis Hospital authority to seek a written apology from the patient. The hospital was also directed to engage female technicians for female patients.

“We will soon issue advisories to the private hospitals. All the hospitals must deploy female technicians for performing various procedures on the women patients. They should not engage a male technician for a female patient,” said WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee.

The Commission also directed the hospital to return Rs 1,595 to the patient as they slapped hefty charges for the liver function test flouting the existing guidelines of the commission.

In another development, the WBCERC has played a key role of arbitrator and assured that they will consider the concern of the Fortis Hospital as it said that they are supposed to get Rs 30,000 from the State government for providing treatment to a woman under West Bengal Health Scheme.