kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on Bhagirathi Neotia Women and Child Care Centre on Rawdon Street as it refused admission to a pregnant woman doctor, who eventually died in another private hospital.
The hospital said they refused admission as the gynecologist did not advise the hospital to admit the patient. The emergency doctor of the hospital, however, assessed that the patient's health condition as critical. The WBCERC held the hospital responsible and imposed a fine.
According to the Commission, the victim Dr Satya Bhutra, a resident of Baguiati was taken to Apollo Gleneagles Hospital around 11 pm on April 24. She complained of chest pain. It did not admit the patient citing Covid issue. No complaint was lodged against Apollo. Then the patient was taken to the Bhagirathi Neotia where the patient was kept for nearly 45 minutes.
The hospital did not admit the patient as the gynecologist the hospital contacted did not recommend admitting the patient. The patient was then shifted to Belle Vue around 11.43 pm. The hospital initially refused admission but later admitted as the patient. The patient died at the hospital around 1.12 am.
The WBCERC has expressed unhappiness over the billing of Fortis Hospital at Mukundapur as it charged Rs 4.97 lakh on a patient who met a accident and finally suggested the patient that one of his legs has to be amputated . The patient was treated at Fortis for 10 days. The hospital had charged more than Rs 1 lakh for consumables. The hospital did not provide any discount to the patient as he was not a Covid patient. The patient went to CMC vellore where he was treated for 19 days and had to pay only Rs 1.19 lakh. The CMC Vellore did not feel the need of amputating his leg. The patient returned home with his leg intact.
The patient is very happy with the treatment he had received at CMC Vellore. The Commission has asked Fortis to revise the bill.
"I have asked my office to share the CMC Vellore bill with the private hospitals in our state so that they can learn how it has treated the patient at a lower cost. It charged only Rs 1.19 lakh for 19 days treatment whereas Fortis Hospital in Kolkata charged Rs 4.97 lakh for 10 days treatment out of which Rs 1 lakh was taken under the head of consumable," said WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee.