- I Paid A Bribe
- 10 years ago
- 3045 views
Bribe for Medical certificate at Krishnarajapuram Govt General Hospital
- Health and Family Welfare
- Medical Certificate
- Paid INR 100
I had to renew by driving license which was about to expire in 10 days. For that I needed a medical certificate as the RTO website said that after 40 years a renewal requires medical certificate, which was fine with me. I searched and on ipaidabride.com found that someone had done so at the Krishnarajapuram Govt General Hospital in Bangalore which was closer to my house and the RTO as well.
I went there at 10.45am on a saturday. Since my medical certificate form was printed in kannada (and I cannot read kannada), I had not filled it. As I entered the hospital, I was point to a middle aged person in plain clothes (perhaps a peon), who took me to the doctors room and asked another male person in white clothes to help me fill the form. Then I pasted photo, my sign etc. The doctor Dr.ShivaPrasad was not yet in and a lot of patients were already waiting inside and outside his room. Then the peon picked my forms and took me to an adjoining room switched the fans and asked me to sit, and then asked me for the fees. I thought that genuinely there could be a nominal fee (like Rs.20) for medical certificate, since somebody told me that they would give a receipt as well, hence. But the person asked Rs.150, which I laughed off and said it was exorbitant (since I was hoping it to be Rs.20), and said let the doctor arrive. The peon switched off the fan and went away, perhaps because I did not pay him.
Then I waited in that room alone and after 10-15 minutes, heard some commotion outside, so stepped out to see what was going on. Then I realized the doctor was coming. The peon sent the doctor into his room and sent another 10 patients inside the room bolted it from outside, to the dismay of other waiting patients. He then asked for my forms and then he asked for the fee aloud in the din. Since he was very open now I thought again this could be genuine and pulled out Rs.40, but the guy insisted Rs.100. In front of the crowd my negotiating skills vapourized and I paid Rs.100. The peon then went inside the doctors room and came back with the signed form in a minute. Then I told him this is a lot and asked him to give back Rs.50 atleast. For which he said that I have to pay another Rs.50, as he had demanded earlier Rs.150!
There was another young man (~20years) who had come for a medical certficate for NCC. I found that he had not paid anything for his MC, and he advised that I should have not paid him anything. I could have simply waited for the other patients to finish seeing the doctor first. I felt a bit ashamed. A lesson learnt. It was a total of 30 minutes at the hospital.
And then I paid Rs.10 as parking fee for parking my car inside the hospital. I felt that was strange and unnecessary. He gave me a receipt for that.
Anyway, I thought that the time saved at the hospital could be worthwhile since I can go to the RTO now and submit the forms. I reached the RTO in Battarahalli (near KR Puram) in 10minutes and found that it was locked. It was a second saturday!! I felt again that I could have instead waited for my turn at the hospital.
Now my RTO work is still not finished. Will write again when that is done.