Color-coded bands & badges mandated for Bengal govt hospitals to eradicate 'Broker Raj'

The state government under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is implementing stringent measures to completely rid state-run hospitals of unauthorized middlemen and brokers. The Chief Minister personally visited Swasthya Bhavan to inspect and monitor the newly established centralized control room. Following an extensive high-level meeting with health department officials, the administration announced that strict, round-the-clock surveillance will be maintained directly from Swasthya Bhavan to identify and eliminate the deep-rooted 'Dalal Raj' across medical facilities.

To effectively distinguish legitimate individuals from brokers, the Health Department has finalized a comprehensive color-coded identification system. Health Minister Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay explained that distinct laminated badges and bands will be distributed to separate categories of individuals within hospital premises. Medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, sanitation staff, and Group D workers, will wear one specific color code; patients will receive a second variant; and the patients' family members will be assigned a third distinct color band. Anyone found on hospital grounds without these official identifiers will be treated as an unauthorized broker.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has issued a strict directive to the Chief Secretary to ensure the lamination and distribution of these multi-level badges are finalized promptly. The administration has set a firm deadline of July 30 for the complete operationalization of this security framework across all state medical institutions. Health Minister Mukhopadhyay referred to the Chief Minister as a strict headmaster, emphasizing that all departments must work with complete dedication to fulfill the mandate and ensure that medical duties, such as administering injections, are performed only by authorized nursing staff.