Haryana: Private hospitals accept mistake, to refund excess bills in a week

EVEN AS people continue to report cases of overcharging by private hospitals, investigations initiated more than a month ago are coming to an end.

In a meeting between Paras hospital, Alchemist hospital and the district administration held on Monday, the hospitals have accepted to refund any and all excess amounts charged for the treatment of Covid patients, while also accepting to initiate self-corrective measures including audits of Covid bills they issued.

The complaints were initiated by the administration at the behest of local MLA and Haryana legislative assembly speaker, Gian Chand Gupta.

The hospitals have assured refunds within a week’s time.

The district-level committee organised a personal hearing under Deputy Commissioner, Vinay Pratap Singh, on Monday. The hospitals, including Alchemist and Paras, have agreed to not only refund excess amounts in complaints that were forwarded via the administration but also conduct a self-audit of all Covid related medical bills, refund excess amounts and submit the audit reports to the administration.

“The administration will then audit their self-audit reports at random to check for ourselves,” said a senior district official present at the hearing.

The administration had received at least 18 complaints of overcharging against Paras hospital, Alchemist hospital, Ojas-Alchemist hospital, and Wings hospital. Sources informed that Wings hospital has assured the administration to submit their response to the show-cause notice by Tuesday.

“Today it is the result of their tireless efforts of the committee set up by me that such complainants are expected to get justice because private hospitals have assured that soon the excess amount charged from the patients in all such cases will be returned,” said MLA Gupta.

Meanwhile, the investigative committee has assured that any more complaints that they receive in the future will be taken cognizance of.

“If any patient has been overcharged during treatment in Panchkula, they may still register their complaint in the office of the Additional Deputy Commissioner. Redressal of such complaints will be done on priority basis,” stated ADC Mohammed Raza.

Gian Chand Gupta had started receiving complaints of overcharging by private hospitals on April 18. He had marked at least three such complaints against Paras hospital to the Haryana health minister, while also initiating a district level investigative committee. Vij had then marked an inquiry against the hospital. A three-member inquiry committee on the state level was also formed.