Punjab Govt warns private hospitals against fleecing patients

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu today warned of stringent action, including the cancellation of licences, against all such hospitals that were trying to exploit the pandemic situation.

‘Display charges’

Private hospitals will need to display the charges on their premises. The treatment of a Covid patient should not cost several lakhs of rupees — Balbir Singh Sidhu, Minister

He said the state government would soon fix charges for Covid treatment keeping in view the interest of both patients and private hospitals. “But at no cost will the government allow exploitation of the patients during this critical situation by the private hospitals,” he said.

“This is a catastrophic crisis when everyone is fighting for survival and some unscrupulous private hospitals have tried to resort to open loot of the helpless patients,” Sidhu said in a strong statement issued here today.

The minister said his attention had been drawn towards unprecedentedly high charges imposed by private hospitals. Sidhu warned that the licences of all such hospitals would be cancelled and all their facilities would be withdrawn.

Besides, he added, the government reserved the right to withdraw the land provided to these hospitals at highly concessional rates.

The Minister has called a special meeting on Monday to decide the charges. He said all factors would be taken into consideration. “We do not want the private hospitals to suffer any financial losses. At the same time, we will not allow extortion of patients at any cost,” he clarified. “The private hospitals will need to display the charges on their premises,” he said.

Sidhu said failing to get any treatment in Delhi, symptomatic persons were coming to Punjab. He claimed that about 97 persons, who came from Delhi, had been tested positive in the past one month.