A team led by top administration officials on Wednesday arrested Rubi Khatun, an attendant at the gynaecological ward of the Raiganj Super Specialty hospital in North Dinajpur district under charges of soliciting money from poor patients for admitting them in the hospital. The team on Wednesday raided the hospital and caught the woman red handed, sources said.

A case has been filed against her. The team has also claimed that they have reports that a section of people are illegally collecting money from pregnant women and their families. It is learnt that Razina Khatun, a woman of Rudrakhanda in Shyampur of Raiganj, was admitted in the maternity ward of the hospital with labor pain on Tuesday.

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She later gave birth to a male child. “The attendant, Rubi Khatun, demanded Rs 500 from her, claiming that she had helped her get admitted in the hospital. In the meantime, a team of district administration officials who were visiting the hospital after being notified about the issue turned up and caught the woman,” sources said. Saidul Rahaman, who hails from Chainagar village in Hemtabad said, “My wife gave birth to a baby on Tuesday.

A woman then asked Rs 200 for removing the placenta. Then I had to pay another woman Rs 300 who had brought the newborn from the labor room to the ward and another Rs 400 to two women who took my baby to the warm room.

Some attendants of the ward even demanded Rs 1000 from me. At last I was forced to give them Rs 500. They threatened me they would not help my wife if I don’t pay up. I belong to a very poor family. I have borrowed the amount from another person from my village.”

Raiganj SDO, TN Sherpa said they had prior information that poor patients at the gynaecology ward were being duped by a section of women. “Labor patients coming from the rural belt are now afraid to visit the hospital. This is giving the institution a bad name.

A team on Wednesday visited the hospital and arrested one woman in connection with this. A case has been started against her. Police have been told to investigate the matter to trace out other fraudsters immediately,” he said.