ROURKELA: The BJP and Congress on Monday turned the heat on Sundargarh district administration alleging exploitation of patients for Covid-19 treatment by a private hospital. State BJP spokesperson Dhiren Senapati demanded that Sundargarh Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan should issue a white paper detailing the total amount provided to Hi-Tech Medical College and Hospital, JP Hospital and Shanti Memorial Hospital for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
A fortnight back, the district administration had signed separate MoUs with JP Hospital and Shanti Memorial Hospital for treatment of Covid-19 patients. The arrangements for treatment in these hospitals were funded from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF).
Senapati pointed out that a Covid-19 patient, Sumanta Ojha (33) of Timber Colony, was shifted to JP Hospital from the administration-run Hi-Tech hospital on August 19 before the MoU was signed. The patient died on August 23 and the JP Hospital authorities recovered Rs 2.80 lakh from his family to release the body. The isolation ICU bed charge was Rs 45,000 per day.
Patients of Rourkela, Sundargarh and other adjacent districts are charged heavily by JP Hospital with ICU bed package ranging from Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per day. There is no clarity as to how it is allowed to charge patients additionally while receiving money from the Government, he said.
Making similar allegations, Congress workers staged protest in front of JP Hospital on Monday and sent a memorandum to Additional Chief Secretary to Health and Family Welfare Department PK Mohaptra through the Panposh Sub-Collector office.
The Congress leaders also demanded details of the fund provided to JP Hospital, numbers of Covid-19 patients treated and treatment cost of individual patients.