Justice T. Vinod Kumar of Telangana High Court on Friday instructed the State government to conduct an inquiry into the allegation that Continental hospital in Gachibowli demanded high charges for treating a COVDI-19 patient who died while undergoing treatment.
The 49-year-old patient K. Mohan Babu’s wife K. Lavanya, who moved a lunch motion, also alleged that the hospital management refused to hand over her husband’s body till the entire treatment charges running close to ₹ 9 lakh were paid. The judge heard the writ petition after the lunch break and instructed the Public Health Director and the Ranga Reddy District Medical and Health Officer to conduct an inquiry into the issues.
The officials and the Continental hospital management were directed to file counter affidavit in the petition within six weeks. According to the petitioner, her husband was admitted in the hospital on July 13 with high fever. During treatment, he tested COVID-positive.
Initially, the petitioner’s family paid ₹2.5 lakh. On Wednesday, the hospital authorities declared the patient dead Stating that total charges for treating the patient were ₹8.91 lakh, the hospital urged the victim’s family to pay the remaining sum. The petitioner alleged that the hospital declined to hand over her husband’s body till the total amount was paid.
The judge expressed unhappiness over the instances issue and observed that incidents of private hospitals charging huge sums for treating COVID patients were coming to the notice of the court. This was against government order no. 248 guidelines, the court said.
Meanwhile, the hospital’s counsel informed the court that the body was handed over to the patient’s family in the afternoon. He told the court even the cremation was completed. The counsel’s statement was recorded.