Private hospitals, labs in city fleece patients

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 13

Despite the instructions of the Health Department not to charge more than Rs 600 for dengue and chikungunya tests, private hospitals and laboratories continue to fleece patients with impunity.

Private hospitals and laboratories here are charging as high as Rs 1,200 for dengue and up to Rs 6,000 for chikungunya test. The department’s hands are tied in the absence of complaints. The department has asked people to lodge their complaints on helpline number 104 if they are overcharged and keep the receipt as proof.

When a private hospital located on the Ferozepur road was visited by The Tribune team and asked about the cost of tests for dengue and chikungunya, the receptionist said the cost of dengue test was Rs 1,300 and that of chikungunya Rs 6,000. The reason he gave for the high cost of chikungunya test was that the hospital got the test done from outside as facility was not available at their hospital.

When asked about the instructions issued by the Health Department that no hospitals or labs would charge more than Rs 600 for these tests, he said he was not aware of any such instructions, nor had the hospital authorities given any such instructions to the staff.

The same is the case with other private hospitals and laboratories. One such private laboratory located at Model Town was charging Rs 1,000 for dengue and Rs 4,500 for chikungunya test with a discount. Even the laboratory staff was not aware of the instructions of the Health Department.

Many of these private hospitals and laboratories are conducting rapid card tests, the report of which comes within an hour. However, the department does not accept the reports of these tests and instead stresses conducting Elisa test for confirmation of both diseases.

Harjinder Kaur, a resident of Barewal Road, said she paid Rs 8,000 for getting both tests done on her father-in-law. “I was not aware that we can lodge a complaint against this malpractice. Since I have lost the receipt, I can do little in this regard now,” she said.

Another city resident said he had to shell out nearly Rs 5,000 for a chikungunya test on his wife. “Had I known that the test was done free of cost at Civil Hospital, I would have gone there only,” he said.

Dr Ramesh, District Epidemiologist, said the department had time and again asked people to complain in case they were overcharged for these tests. They can show the receipt as proof and action will be taken against the violators. Any person, whether or not he is taking treatment from Civil Hospital, can get these tests done at Civil Hospital free of cost.

Meanwhile, 18 more patients have tested posted for dengue, including five women.