NMC squad to take action against pvt hosps for exorbitant charges

Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has formed a five-member squad to conduct surprise checks at private hospitals. They will initiate action if hospitals are charging Covid and non-Covid patients above the rates finalized by NMC on June 4. The squad headed by IAS officer Jalaj Sharma visited Seven Star Hospital at Jagnade Square and also obtained data on the charges levied on patients since June 4 till date.
TOI had on Monday reported Seven Star Hospital allegedly issued a bill of Rs1.9 lakh, later reduced to Rs1.39 lakh, for just six days for an asymptomatic Covid-19 patient.
Taking serious cognisance of TOI’s report, municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe issued a circular forming the squad on Monday. Sharma, additional municipal commissioner, has earlier worked as Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer for three years before joining as IAS. He is also BTech in computer engineering, and so was appointed head of the squad.
Mundhe told TOI, “Guidelines were issued to private hospitals. Squad will check whether private hospitals are following norm of 80:20 bed sharing formula and rates. Stringent action will be taken if any violations are found.”
Mundhe also said private hospitals are not supposed to admit asymptomatic positive patients. “Covid-19 positive patient with symptoms is eligible for admission in private hospitals. All asymptomatic positive patients can avail home isolation or Covid Care Centres (CCCs). Sufficient number of beds are also available in state and trust-run Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCH) for positive patients with symptoms,” he said.
A delegation of Youth Congress led by state secretary Rohit Khairwar met speaker Nana Patole on Sunday and requested government should not allow private hospitals to treat Covid-19 positive or suspected patients.
Khairwar told TOI, “A private hospital issued bill of Rs2.50 lakh to a suspected Covid-19 patient (32-year-old woman) for just six days. Her father had tested positive so NMC quarantined all family members at VNIT Hostel. Her reports came negative from GMCH. But she complained of some breathlessness so was admitted at GMCH, where she tested negative second time.”
He alleged GMCH doctors suggested her to get treatment from private hospital since X-ray report showed some symptoms. She was then admitted at a private hospital on July 21, and never showed symptoms. She was tested the third time at the private hospital. She was given discharge with bill of Rs2.50 lakh. Her family had to sell gold ornaments to pay the bill as they had no insurance, he said.
Khairwar alleged all Covid and non-Covid patients admitted in private hospitals in last one month had to pay exorbitant bills. “State government is providing all infrastructure and facilities in government hospitals. Therefore, private hospitals should not be allowed to treat Covid positive or suspected patients. Need is to encourage doctors and staff of government hospitals to give service through out this pandemic,” he said.
Referring to the government order dated May 21, Mundhe had issued circular for private hospitals and capped all rates. The motive was to restrict private hospitals from charging exorbitant rates in pandemic, which may leave many in financial crisis.
The representatives of Vidarbha Hospital Association and local chapter of Indian Medical Association have requested divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar to increase the rates, claiming it would lead to loss of over Rs3 lakh per day for each hospital. Kumar had forwarded their plea to the government.