Despite raids, private hospitals in Bathinda continue to fleece patients

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 22

Private hospitals continue to fleece Covid patients in the region despite the district Health Department having raided three such facilities and seized records a few days ago. Action is yet to be initiated against any of these hospitals.

A health team had raided Global Hospital after family members of a Covid patient alleged overcharging. The complaint was also sent to the Health Minister.

Similarly, Ivy Hospital on the Mansa road allegedly demanded money from the family of a patient to release the body. The hospital withheld the body after the family expressed inability to pay the money. Later, farm union members reached the hospital and threatened to stage a protest, following which the hospital gave the body to the family.

A health team also conducted a raid on Max Hospital following a complaint of overcharging.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal urged the state government to take strict action against private hospitals found fleecing Covid patients. He said in one such case, a private hospital claiming Rs 4 lakh dues had not released three bodies even though Rs 6 lakh had been paid for their treatment.

Deputy Commissioner B Srinivasan said the district administration would take strict action under the Epidemic Diseases Act against any hospital/ doctor found exploiting Covid patients. The government was empowered to shut the erring hospital or take control of the facility, he said.

The DC said some black sheep in the system were cheating people by taking advantage of the pandemic. He warned of strict action if they failed to stop fleecing patients.

He said state and district-level committees would soon conduct an audit of the treatment of Covid-19 patients at private hospitals. Complaints could also be filed on helpline number ‘104’ of the Health Department and DC’s office.