Pune: Local administration initiates action against two private hospitals in Maval

Pune: Tehsildar Madhusudan Barge has recommended action to be taken against Sparsh Hospital and Badhe Hospital at Somatane Phata in Maval area. The two private hospitals have been charged with mistreating Covid-19 patients and issuing inflated bills to the patients. Action will be taken against the two hospitals under the Epidemic Diseases Act. 

A complaint was filed on July 17 against the Sparsh hospital management alleging that the hospital staff misbehaved with Assistant Health Officers and inflated bills were being issued to patients at the facility. A demand was made to enquire the incident by appointing a competent officer for the case. Corporator Arun Mane, social activists Dilip Dolas and Jamir Nalband had complained about the malpractices taking place in Sparsh Hospital at Somatane Phata.

Tehsildar Barge had then asked Assistant District Surgeon Dr Jadhav to form a committee under his chairmanship and submit a report about the authenticity of the allegations. The committee submitted this report on July 22.

Tehsildar Barge has stated in his letter that Sparsh hospital staff has indulged in charging patients for several tests which were unnecessary in the first place. The hospital has also charged unreasonably for the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, prescribed unnecessary medicines to patients, refused to take back the unused medicines and many other irregularities were found at the Sparsh hospital.

The committee also found out that similar malpractices of charging unreasonably for PPE kits, prescribing unnecessary medicines to patients, refusing to take back the unused medicines were being done at the Badhe hospital.

After the committee's report was submitted, Tehsildar Barge has written to Pune District Collector to take action against both hospitals under the Epidemic Diseases Act and National Disaster Management Act. Corporator Mane activists Dolas and Nalband have said that private hospitals should stop exploiting common citizens and should follow the guidelines of the government while issuing bills to patients.