COIMBATORE: In most cases, family members of Covid patients fleeced by private hospitals avoid lodging a complaint against the hospital. They fear such a move will impact the treatment for the patient. In some cases, they withdraw the complaint when the hospital management agrees to give them a ‘discount’.
Only rarely does such a complaint reach the health department. One such complaint was from a private-company employee here. He was not swayed by the discount proposal, and the subsequent investigation led to the hospital’s getting barred from treating Covid patients.
The incident
32-year-old Nassar*, employee of an oil company in Coimbatore, and his 63-year-old father contracted Covid in May. Both of them were admitted to a private hospital in Saravanampatti. But, Nassar’s father, according to the hospital, died 21 days later.
Nassar, however, said the hospital concealed the death of his father and continued to charge for his ‘treatment’. The final bill came close to Rs 18 lakh for the treatment of both. But, the daily-charge limits fixed by the district administration for Covid treatment in this hospital are Rs 5,000 for ordinary bed; Rs 18,500 for oxygen bed; Rs 36,500 for ICU bed.
The complaint
Seeking justice, Nassar lodged a complaint with the district administration and the Chief Minister’s Cell. Consequently, an investigation was launched and action was taken against the hospital. “I did not lodge the complaint just for me. Many like me were forced to pay higher fees to the hospital during our treatment. Hence, I sought justice for all of them,” said Nassar.
“My father was treated for 21 days with a ventilator. They collected Rs 2.5 lakh in advance. After the treatment, they issued us a letter that put the cost of my father’s treatment to Rs 15 lakh and mine to Rs 2.5 lakh (for seven days of treatment in a normal bed),” said Nassar, who alleged that the hospital hid the death of his father to charge them more.
“They (the hospital) charged Rs 2.5 lakh as doctor fee and Rs 80,000 as doctor’s opinion fee for my father’s 21-day treatment. After I complained to the collector and the Chief Minister’s Cell, they (the hospital) offered me a concession and asked to pay Rs 11.5 lakh for my father’s treatment and Rs 2.3 lakh for mine. We paid only Rs 4.3 lakh so far, out of which Rs 2.85 lakh was claimed through insurance,” Nassar added.
Name changed
Grave allegation
Nassar, however, said the hospital concealed the death of his father and continued to charge for his ‘treatment’. The final bill was Rs 18 lakh