Medanta hospital in Gurgaon has allegedly charged a whopping Rs. 16 lakh for treatment of a seven-year-old boy. This comes days after Fortis hospital in Gurugram had reportedly charged huge amounts from a dengue patient there. The worst thing is that the child died at RML Hospital, according to DNA report. The victim was admitted at Medanta on October 30 and remained there for 22 days. After that, the parents shifted the victim and took him to the RML Hospital, where he subsequently died. The child was even admitted to ICU at Medanta hospital. Earlier, Fortis Hospital allegedly billed about Rs 15.6 lakh for the two-week hospital stay, including for 611 syringes and 1,546 pairs of gloves for the dengue patient. The news created uproar and Union Health Minister JP Nadda sought a report from the hospital authority.
After JP Nadda sought a detailed report, Fortis Hospital on November 21 refuted allegations that it had overcharged, claiming the patient’s kin was informed about the bill on a daily basis. It said in a statement that there was no medical negligence and all standard protocols were followed in the treatment of the patient at the hospital. “We understand the angst of the aggrieved parents but would like to assure all and the family of the child that there has been no medical negligence or overcharging towards the care of the child as is being misrepresented in the social media, it said.
Notably, earlier this year, the Mamata Banerjee government had laid down a series of guidelines for medical establishments to follow to avoid harassment of patients as well as their family members. In a meeting with authorities of private hospitals and nursing homes, the Chief Minister had also pulled up some of them and criticised their practices. “We have received complaints that some medical establishments are indulging in practices which are unacceptable. The price of one medicine is charged multiple times in the bill. Some hospitals are charging exorbitant bills “Patients have also complained that they were admitted to ICU without a strong reason. These practices should come to an end,” CM Banerjee had said.