Pvt hosp fined Rs 25,000 for denying treatment to Covid patient

Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Binayak Hospital in Dum Dum as it denied treatment to a retired WBCS officer after he had tested positive for Covid.

The hospital claimed that it was a non-Covid hospital and therefore it had shifted the patient to Sanjivani Hospital. The WBCERC said no private hospitals can deny treatment to a Covid patient. The patient, Subhash Chandra Konar (75), later died at Sanjivani Hospital. The family members also alleged that Sanjivani Hospital did not provide them with medical records. His wife was also admitted to the Binayak Hospital for Covid treatment and was later shifted to the Calcutta Medical College, where she recovered. Similar allegations were levelled against two other private hospitals — Desun and Medica. The family alleged that Desun had demanded Rs 3 lakh for Konar's admission when they wanted to shift him there. Desun has been fined Rs 25,000. When the deceased's wife wanted to get admitted to Medica and contacted them, she was allegedly refused admission as she was covered under the state government health scheme. Medica Hospital was cautioned in this regard.

In another development, the Commission asked Desun Hospital to return Rs 92,000 to a patient who was exorbitantly charged. The patient, Pradeep Khemka, was kept in the hospital for four days for which he was asked to pay a bill of Rs 2.92 lakh. It had also asked for Rs 3 lakh for admission. The patient was charged Rs 52,500 for bed, Rs 86,000 for investigations and Rs 96,000 for pharmacy. The same hospital was also directed to refund Rs 48,000 to another patient who was charged Rs 1.23 lakh for 29 hours of stay.