7 private hospitals in Rohtak refund excess amount to 13 Covid patients

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, July 19

Seven private hospitals in the city have refunded the excess amount charged from 13 Covid patients during the second wave of the pandemic after their kin filed complaints with the district authorities.

The refund amount ranges between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 4 lakh.

All complainants withdrew their complaints after receiving the refund, saying that they were satisfied with the amount and did not want action against the hospitals.

All cases were disposed of after the first hearing before a committee of district officers formed to deal with the complaints. In some cases, sources reported that erring hospitals returned the amount after the speculations that patients would lodge complaints against them.

Sources informed a retired army officer was among the fleeced. Similarly, another private hospital also overcharged two brothers for blood and other tests.

“The number of Covid patients who were overcharged by private hospitals in April and May are much higher than the complaints registered. A majority do not want to complaint against the hospitals as they secured beds through their near and dear ones. Many, who lost their family members to the virus, are also not interested in filing complaints,” said an officer.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Mahendra Pal, who led the committee, informed that a panel of doctors calculated the actual expenditure of the medical treatment as per the government rates after receiving the complaint so that correct amount could be refunded to the kith and kin.

Hisar hospital overcharges patient

A non-Covid hospital in Hisar has charged Rs4.50 lakh for the treatment of a Covid patient. However, the hospital returned Rs3 lakh after the intervention of Dr Ramesh Punia of the Civil Hospital. The complainant is a resident of Adampur village. He stated that he got his wife admitted in the hospital in Sirsa road on May 10 after she tested positive for Covid. She stayed in the hospital till May 26.