Overcharging Covid patients: Panchkula hospitals propose to refund Rs 21 lakh more

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 22

After refunding Rs 35.43 lakh in all cases of inflated bills pursued by the district-level Covid bill monitoring committee during random scrutiny, private hospitals have agreed to return an additional amount of Rs21.46 lakh that was overcharged from patients — a fact that came to the fore during self-audit by hospitals.

So far, Rs56.89 lakh have been reported to be overcharged from patients for treatment by Paras Hospital, Alchemist Hospital (including Ojas Hospital as it is owned by the same company) and Wings Hospital.

BB Singhal, member, Haryana State Pharmacy Council, and a member of the Covid bill monitoring committee, said the hospitals had proposed refunding Rs21.46 lakh after identifying excess charges in 33 Covid bills issued from April 1 to April 30 during the self-audit process.

“Of these, 33 Covid bills, six were from Alchemist Hospital, 10 Ojas Hospital and 17 were from Paras Hospital,’’ he said.

However, the self-audit is still underway and the last date for the submission of a report before the bill monitoring committee is July 31.

‘’The committee will cross check the self-audit report submitted before us by hospitals to ensure it was done correctly,’’ he said.

After random scrutiny of Covid bills, the panel, led by ADC Mohammad Imran Raza, had directed private hospitals to conduct a self-audit of Covid bills issued from April 1 to May 15 (as during this period, the Covid second wave was on its peak).

At a review meeting today presided by Haryana Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, his office also issued appreciation letter to all panel members for their efforts to provide relief to the Covid victims.

Gupta, while appreciating all members on the panel, said they had executed their responsibility in an appreciable manner.

After receiving several complaints of overcharging patients by private hospitals for the Covid treatment, Haryana Speaker and local MLA Gian Chand Gupta had directed formulating a district-level panel to oversee such complaints.

Gupta had also written to state Health Minister Anil Vij in this regard.