State health body reserves order in case of hosp ‘housing loan company on premises’

The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) reserved its judgment in connection with an unprecedented case in which a private hospital near Dhapa Ground was found to have accommodated a private loan company within its premises that lends out money to patients when required.

WBCERC is likely to take stringent steps against the hospital whose identity is yet to be revealed by the Commission.

Commission’s Chairman Justice (retired) Ashim Banerjee said that they will divulge the name of the private hospital when the commission will deliver the final verdict.

A 61-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital on July 16 with craniological issues. The patient’s daughter, who was accompanying him, told the Commission that they had urged the hospital to admit the patient under Swasthya Sathi but the hospital refused to do so and allegedly said that they were not admitting patients under the scheme as the government delays in giving approval.

Subsequently, the patient’s family members deposited Rs 60,000 at the time of admission.

However, later, upon being asked to pay a bill of Rs 2.13 lakh, the family members claimed they did not have the funds and thus wanted the patient to be admitted under Swasthya Sathi.

Interestingly, the hospital then offered a loan saying there was a private loan company inside the hospital that would take care of the issue. The patient was released from the hospital on July 24 after the family paid the remaining amount of Rs 1.30 lakh after taking loan.

Taking exception to this incident, Banerjee asked the hospital to immediately stop the private loan company from operating from its premises.

Banerjee also expressed displeasure as the hospital had sent police personnel to the house of the patient at 1.30 am to enquire why they had not paid the amount to the hospital and got their patient discharged.

The Commission will hold a meeting in this regard before delivering the final judgment, Banerjee stated.