Notice to Paras Hospital, Panchkula, for violation of ‘medical ethics’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21

The Director General, Health Services (DGHS), Haryana, has issued a show-cause notice to Paras Hospital, Sector 22, Panchkula, for violation of “medical ethics” and overcharging a Bathinda resident for Covid treatment.

The patient, Dr Kapil Garg, had got admitted on April 12 and died on May 3. His widow Arti Garg was forced to deposit Rs13.81 lakh, as per the complaint.

As per the inquiry committee, comprising its chairman, Dr Shaleen, the hospital overcharged the patient by over Rs1.5 lakh.

The inquiry committee observed that the hospital charged at Rs6,000 per day for the High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Rs10,000 per day for the ICU. Also, the hospital charged Rs 80,000 for doctor visits during the stay of the patient.

“It is very well understood that treating doctor will visit the admitted patient for treatment purposes and doctor visiting charges cannot be charged by the hospital from the admitted patient when the patient is already being charged for the room at Rs6,000 per day (for High Dependency Unit) and Rs10,000 per day for the ICU. This should be a part of the room charge only. Hence, an amount of Rs80,000 amounts to overcharging by the hospital,” said the inquiry committee.

On physiotherapy charges when the patient was on ventilator and immobile, the committee observed that the “Physiotherapy charges charged by the hospital amounting to Rs30,100 should be the part of the ICU room charge and this amounts to overcharging by Paras Hospital.”

It added, “The ventilator charges billed on to patient for being more than 8 hours on a ventilator are beyond comprehension and logical reasoning. Hence, Rs43,500/- on account of the patient being on a ventilator for more than 8 hours amounts to overcharging by the hospital.”

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