Apollo Hosp asked to revise bills in 3 separate cases

KOLKATA: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) found that Apollo Gleneagles Hospital did not abide by the Covid advisory issued by it and there were irregularities in billing of three Covid patients whose family members later lodged complaints.

The WBCERC heard all the three cases on Wednesday but withheld its judgment as the patients' family members needed to come up with some more documents. The Commission has, however, directed the Apollo Hospital to revise the bills in all the three cases and the money taken in excess would have to be returned to the patients' family members.

"We have noticed during the hearing that the hospital did not follow the Covid advisories. There were irregularities in the billing in all the three cases. The patients' family did not however raise any complaint related to billing. Patients were charged twice under some heads.

Covid packages were taken from the patient and again separate bed charges and doctor charges were deducted. We have therefore asked the hospital to revise the bills keeping in the mind the Covid advisories. The patients' family members have also been urged to share their account numbers with the hospital," said WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee.

In the first case one Hema Bagadia, a Covid patient was admitted to the hospital May 3. She had various comorbidities. After two days some changes were noticed in the behavior of the patient.

Nearly after 12-13 days the hospital released the patient. The family members alleged that the patient had developed some wounds in her private parts which the hospital had clarified. The patient had also developed a bedsore on which there were no proper explanations by the hospital.

In another incident, Ratan Ranjan Dhar (68), a Covid patient was admitted to the hospital.

The hospital asked the patient's family members to collect Tocilizumab. When the family members collected and gave it to the hospital they did not apply them on the patient.

The patient was kept in an empty stomach for long for conducting some tests but later no tests were performed. The hospital suddenly told the family that he had got cancer and he needed to be put in a ventilator. There was a miscommunication as one staff member called up family and said that the patient was well while another called up and said that the patient's condition was critical. The patient had however died later.

In a similar incident one Rekha Das who was admitted on May 24 with Covid and discharged on May 31. The patient had to be admitted for a second time. It was also alleged that Covid test was done a day before the patient's death and no consent was taken from the family.

The Commission however withheld its judgement in all the three cases. Even the blood transfusion was not done despite a donor donating blood.

In another incident the WBCERC directed Apollo Diagnostic Center to seek apology from a patient and return the money collected from him for conducting some blood tests as the report mistakenly mentioned that the patient had cancer. The diagnostic center admitted that it was their mistake.