Telangan

Nalgonda private hospital sealed for “overcharging COVID-19 patients”

District Collector Prashant J. Patil on Saturday instructed medical officers to seal a private hospital allegedly “for overcharging a COVID-19 patient.”

Following a complaint by an aggrieved family, medical officials inspected Navya Hospital in the town and found that the management was billing patients even without conducting tests.

Reportedly, one patient was charged ₹6 lakh, at ₹50, 000 per day, for COVID-19 treatment which included only supply of oxygen.

District Medical & Health Officer A. Kondal Rao, who inspected the facility along with his deputies and officials from the police department, said the hospital was admitting patients with symptoms of cold and fever, and were charging high rates after labelling them coronavirus patients.

“The hospital is also not approved to provide COVID-19 treatment to patients,” another official part of the inspection said.

Superintendent of Police A.V. Ranganath said the hospital managers were booked for violations under appropriate sections, and were remanded.

Medical officials said the department will intensify raids and randomly inspect private hospitals in the district to check medical malpractice.

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