KOLKATA: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has received at least 10 complaints of patient refusal by private hospitals during the Covid pandemic. Several such complaints against government hospitals, too, have reached the state secretariat at Nabanna, prompting the state health department to issue a warning to both public and private hospitals.
“We have been continuously communicating with private hospitals, asking them not to refuse admission or treatment during this pandemic. Despite this, we have received 10 complaints, including those of patient refusals. We are planning to start hearing these cases online. If all technical arrangements are in place, we should be able to take up a few cases on June 30,” said justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee, chairman of WBCERC.
The health commission, a regulatory body of private hospitals, has been working closely with hospital administrators to augment the number of beds and other facilities from time to time. Most hospitals have increased their Covid bed strength. But with an increase in Covid positive cases, particularly in the city, a majority of these hospitals now have a bed occupancy rate ranging between 70% and 90%, with a few running out of beds.
In two separate but similar orders, the state health department on Tuesday issued directives to private and government-run hospitals not to deny patient admission or services. While penal action will be taken against private hospitals, disciplinary action has been warned against government hospitals in case of any report of patient refusal.
Sources said that among the private hospitals, one in south Kolkata has not treated a single Covid-19 positive patient despite having created a Covid ward. The hospital reportedly has been referring patients to other hospitals whenever a patient tests positive.
“This particular hospital along with two-three others are under lens because we have been getting reports that they are not treating Covid patients though they have Covid beds on paper,” said a health department official.
The license of a private hospital can be revoked or suspended under the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Act.
“At AMRI Hospitals, we have not refused any patient because the person is Covid positive. In fact, we were the first private hospital in Kolkata to dedicate a whole building to Covid-19 positive patients. Sometimes, we are forced to refuse patients when we run out of beds. In that case, we first stabilize the patient before referring him/her to another hospital, where beds are available,” said Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI Group of hospitals.
A senior health department official said several complaints have reached Nabanna, including that of a government doctor with Covid-19 symptoms who was allegedly refused by a Covid-designated hospital. He was later admitted to Beliaghata ID Hospital after the matter was reported to Swasthya Bhavan.
Similarly, a senior Trinamool leader had also faced difficulty in getting a patient with fever admitted and mentioned it to health officials. TOI had earlier reported that Nasima Khatoon, a patient with kidney problems and diabetes, was allegedly denied admission at SSKM hospital and she died on May 1.
“We have been continuously communicating with private hospitals, asking them not to refuse admission or treatment during this pandemic. Despite this, we have received 10 complaints, including those of patient refusals. We are planning to start hearing these cases online. If all technical arrangements are in place, we should be able to take up a few cases on June 30,” said justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee, chairman of WBCERC.
The health commission, a regulatory body of private hospitals, has been working closely with hospital administrators to augment the number of beds and other facilities from time to time. Most hospitals have increased their Covid bed strength. But with an increase in Covid positive cases, particularly in the city, a majority of these hospitals now have a bed occupancy rate ranging between 70% and 90%, with a few running out of beds.
In two separate but similar orders, the state health department on Tuesday issued directives to private and government-run hospitals not to deny patient admission or services. While penal action will be taken against private hospitals, disciplinary action has been warned against government hospitals in case of any report of patient refusal.
Sources said that among the private hospitals, one in south Kolkata has not treated a single Covid-19 positive patient despite having created a Covid ward. The hospital reportedly has been referring patients to other hospitals whenever a patient tests positive.
“This particular hospital along with two-three others are under lens because we have been getting reports that they are not treating Covid patients though they have Covid beds on paper,” said a health department official.
The license of a private hospital can be revoked or suspended under the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Act.
“At AMRI Hospitals, we have not refused any patient because the person is Covid positive. In fact, we were the first private hospital in Kolkata to dedicate a whole building to Covid-19 positive patients. Sometimes, we are forced to refuse patients when we run out of beds. In that case, we first stabilize the patient before referring him/her to another hospital, where beds are available,” said Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI Group of hospitals.
A senior health department official said several complaints have reached Nabanna, including that of a government doctor with Covid-19 symptoms who was allegedly refused by a Covid-designated hospital. He was later admitted to Beliaghata ID Hospital after the matter was reported to Swasthya Bhavan.
Similarly, a senior Trinamool leader had also faced difficulty in getting a patient with fever admitted and mentioned it to health officials. TOI had earlier reported that Nasima Khatoon, a patient with kidney problems and diabetes, was allegedly denied admission at SSKM hospital and she died on May 1.
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