Bengaluru: Authority of complaints negotiations in Urban Bengaluru Regency have ordered 14 hospitals to restore the excess RS 81 lakh that they have billed and collected from patients.
A dozen cases involved patients infected with Covid-19.
These cases are among 44 complaints of excess billing and medical negligence of authority received since March this year.
Of these, 23 complaints related to Covid-19 patients who were infected during the second wave and 27 complaints were about excess billing.
Of these 27, three are non-covid patients.
These cases were registered in the provisions of the Medical Swasdight Karnataka and the most have been resolved.
Officials said in some cases, hospitals were found innocent.
However, the exact number of cases resolved for patients is unknown.
Complaints also included overbilling problems involving patients received under the government quota in private hospitals.
In all states, a total of 81 cases were reported.
J Manjunath, Deputy Commissioner, Urban District Bengaluru, who held a meeting related to this complaint, said some patient families accused them that they were charged more than those who had been prescribed by the government.
“In some cases, the complainant said that the heart needed was not taken,” said Manjunath.
“In some cases, the patient’s family has a problem with the dissemination of information from the hospital on the health of the patient.
In some cases, the complainants questioned the delay over to surrender to relatives.” The Committee held a meeting with a private hospital involved and heard their version.
“Where patients are billed exceed the price limit, the hospital has agreed to restore the number,” said Manjunath.
In one case, a 60-year-old covid patient was treated for 50 days.
He was in the Covid ward for 23 days and a non-covid ward for 27 days.
The patient’s family accused the hospital billing their RS 3.5 Lakh more than the prescribed.
The committee decided to support the patient’s family.
In other cases, the committee directed a private hospital to pay Rs 5 lakh to the complainant.
However, in some cases, hospitals found to have acted correctly.
Citing examples, Manjunath said one patient was received for 203 days.
“He was billed Rs 52 lakh.
The man has insurance that covers a portion of the bill and family paying Rs 8 lakh.
The actual hospital, releasing Rs 41 lakh left,” said Manjunath.
In some cases, patients treated for non-covid problems at the government hospital said they were asked to buy drugs from outside even though the government supplied free drugs to the hospital.
“The hospital authority was questioned, and they had replaced the costs incurred by patients,” said Dr.
Srinivasa SG, District Health Officer, Bengaluru Urban.
However, officials show that the number of complaints is a very small percentage of the number of people infected with Covid who are looking for hospital care.
Dr.
HM Prasnana, President, Private Hospital, and Care House Association (Phan), said the hospital must be taken to the task if he was found guilty.
“We do not stand with hospitals that violate government norms.
Hospitals must stick to the closing price when collecting Covid patients.
We have issued an advisor about this.”