Fake Swasthya Sathi bills: Fine worth Rs 5.31 cr imposed on 20 pvt hosps

kolkata: State Health department has imposed a cumulative fine of Rs 5.31 crore on more than 20 nursing homes and private hospitals across the state for allegedly fudging Swasthya Sathi bills, preparing false bills.

The state government has initiated stern action against private hospitals that are creating hindrance in providing health care services in the state. The Health department and the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) have already given a clear message that action will be taken against the private hospitals which won't provide adequate treatment to patients under the Swasthya Sathi scheme.

Ever since the Swasthya Sathi scheme was introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government, a section of the private hospitals has been creating obstacles in various ways. There were incidents reported in the past as well where private hospitals indulged in corrupt practices and submitted false bills to the Health department. The WBCERC has already taken steps against many private hospitals. It has also directed the private hospitals to charge patients rationally as per the guideline.

State Health department came to know that a nursing home in East Midnapore had recently prepared fudged Swasthya Sathi bills. It was alleged that nursing home authorities misappropriated around a few lakh rupees using the biometric card of a Swasthya Sathi consumer. The same nursing home later misappropriated bills of more than 50 beneficiaries.

The nursing home authorities assured many beneficiaries that Rs 10,000 would be given to all of them. It had also taken Rs 70,000-80,000 against fake bills of gall bladder operation and appendix operation.

According to Health department sources, the state government has been paying the bills within a stipulated time. Steps would be taken against the private hospitals not abiding by the government norms. Over nine crore people in Bengal have already been included under the Swasthya Sathi scheme out of which around 6-7 per cent raise claims every year. As per mass insurance statistics, at most, around 6-7 percent of claims are made out of the total

number of people enrolled under that particular health scheme.

More than 2.30 crore families have been covered under the scheme and 2,290 hospitals have been empanelled. The scheme was announced on February 25 in 2016 and officially launched by the Chief Minister on December 30

in 2016.