CHENNAI: The Health Department has cancelled Covid treatment license of 20 private hospital across the State for overcharging and other violations during the second wave and the hospitals were made to refund Rs 1.83 crore to the patients.
In Chennai alone, `60.07 lakh was refunded. The department has so far received 222 complaints from the first week of May, out of which 92 hospitals are in Chennai.
Speaking to Express, Director of Medical and Rural Health Services Dr S Gurunathan said people can call 104 to register complaints if they have been overcharged or for any other violations.
“Some hospitals did not release bodies as the family couldn’t settle the bills. In such cases, the Health Department had to intervene,” said an official.
The Health Department is regularly monitoring the hospitals and many hospitals are complying with the government fixed price. Recently, Health Minister Ma Subramanian made a surprise visit to a private hospital in Vandalur, got patients phone numbers and called the patients and enquired if the hospital overcharged them.