Regulatory Comm orders Desun Hospital not to charge any advance at the time of admission

Kolkata: In a stern move, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) on Wednesday issued an order barring Desun Hospital from collecting advance from any patient at the time of admission.

The hospital authorities have also been asked to deposit Rs 10 lakh with the Commission until the probe into a specific medical negligence incident is concluded. Strict action may be initiated against the hospital authorities if they fail to deposit the amount within the stipulated time.

The order comes in connection with the alleged medical negligence in which a 60-year-old woman from East Midnapore's Tomluk, a Covid infected patient, died in an ambulance outside the hospital a week ago as she was denied admission for her family's failure to deposit Rs 3 lakh. The WBCERC took exception to the incident and started a suo motu case in this regard. The Commission on Wednesday heard the case and found a discrepancy on the statements of the private hospital. The hospital's claim that they provided treatment to the patient in an ambulance and she could not be admitted due to a shortage of bed, failed to convince the Commission.

"We had received 3 complaints against Desun Hospital all of which are related to billing issues. Two complainants have already withdrawn their complaints against the hospital. In the case of the third one, an elderly woman was denied admission and she eventually died. This was an inhuman act. We felt the license of this private hospital should have been suspended but we restrained as the hospital has been providing treatment to many other patients during the pandemic," said Justice (Retired) Ashim Banerjee, chairperson, WBCERC.

"We have instructed the hospital not to charge patients a single penny at the time of admission.

We have also asked the hospital authorities to deposit Rs 5 lakh within next Tuesday and remaining Rs 5 lakh within two weeks failing which we would shut down the hospital. The entire amount would be kept with the Commission till the case is disposed of," Banerjee stated.

The Commission has also asked both Desun Hospital and the other private hospital at Park Circus where the victim woman was initially treated, to file an affidavit to the Commission giving their version in connection with the case.

The other private hospital has been asked as to why they transferred the patient when her condition was serious. State government norms say that a hospital has to stabilise the health condition of a patient before transferring him/her to another.