kolkata: The state Health department has found some irregularities in the prices of medicines, which the private hospitals administer on the patients who undergo treatment in those hospitals under Swasthya Sathi scheme.
The costs of medicines claimed by the private hospitals from the government for the treatment of patients under Swasthya Sathi scheme are allegedly higher than the amount the hospitals had actually spent for buying those medicines from the pharma companies.
The Health department has now decided to check the misuse of medicines in the private hospitals.
The Health department has asked the private hospitals to submit the bills of medicines so that no irregularities take place. The private hospitals have also been asked to check the misuse of various antibiotics.
It may be mentioned here that some private hospitals in the city are allegedly over-prescribing some expensive medicines meant for cancer without any serious need and it has been creating a burden on the Swasthya Sathi scheme of the state government.
The Health department has received some specific information as to how some doctors from the private hospitals are unnecessarily over-prescribing expensive drugs without which the patients can be easily managed.
Some unscrupulous doctors from the private hospitals are allegedly over-prescribing the expensive drugs without any necessity.
As a result the pharma companies are getting the benefits. The entire issue now is under the scanner of the Health department.
Meanwhile, the Swasthya Sathi scheme, a brain child of the Chief Minister, has already become very popular among all cross sections of the people due to its universality.
Now, the premier institutions like CMC Vellore, AIIMS Delhi have come under the ambit of the Swasthya Sathi under which a family is entitled to avail free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh in each year from any private hospitals.