Panel finds patients paid Rs 10,000-Rs 1.5 lakh extra at Ghaziabad’s private hospitals in second wave – ET HealthWorld

The committee, comprising Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation commissioner Mahendra Singh Tanwar, the then chief medical officer NK Gupta and chief treasury officer Laxmi Mishra, was formed following complaints of overcharging by Covid patients and their families. The hospitals were given time till June 25 to comply with the order. While 90% of the facilities have returned the extra amount, the remaining hospitals have been given one more chance to rectify them before the final report is submitted by the panel.

“We audited five bills each of the maximum amounts from 35 hospitals and found discrepancies in most of them. No punitive action has been taken, but the centres have been asked to reconsider the bills and return the additional amounts to patients. The process is yet to be completed. The panel will compile the hospitals’ replies and submit the final report to the administration,” Tanwar said.

Dr Ashish Agarwal, IMA president, Ghaziabad chapter, said, “About 90% of the hospitals have complied with the committee’s order and returned the differential amount. The remaining facilities are looking into the matter. A sub-divisional magistrate has been appointed to hear the hospitals’ grievances and those who have any queries have met the officials for clarification.”

Sources said the administration and the IMA want to settle this matter amicably, keeping in mind the threat that a potential third wave could pose. The IMA had expressed displeasure over ‘arm-twisting’ measures, with officials saying ‘harassment’ would discourage hospitals from treating Covid patients in the future.

Before the panel was formed, the health department had received more than 20 complaints of overcharging by patients’ families and over Rs 10 lakh was returned by private hospitals following scrutiny.

Rs 40L returned in Noida

The pandemic grievance committee in Noida received 79 complaints, of which 30 – 15 of medical negligence and 15 of overcharging — were found genuine. The others either lacked merit or were minor cases that were settled between the hospital and the patient, said officials.

Over the past two months, 12 private hospitals have been asked to return a total of Rs 40 lakh to patients after rectification of bills. “There were complaints against almost every private facility notified as a Covid hospital. We issued notices in 30 cases and they have all been resolved. No new complaint has been received,” said Dr Anil Gupta, nodal officer for the committee.

He added that four complaints received through the state IGRS portal remain unresolved. “There is a meeting next week to discuss those as well,” said Dr Gupta.