Govt strikes off Apollo from list of empanelled healthcare organisations

The state government seems to be in an absolutely uncompromising mood and is going all out to ensure appropriate punishments for those flouting rules of humanity and committing medical negligence towards patients that have even cost them their lives.

It has again cracked the whip on Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals and removed its name from the list of empanelled healthcare organisations to provide treatment to state government employees under the West Bengal Health Scheme.

This step has been taken after receiving complaints of "charging extra" than the approved rates of the state government as per the health scheme and failing to provide cashless treatment to the beneficiaries.

It may be recalled that during the meeting in Town Hall on February 22, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had pulled up some hospitals for their failure to provide treatment to government employees or pensioners under the health scheme.

The medical cell of the state finance department has issued a notification on Thursday stating that "for some time, several complaints and allegations have been received from beneficiaries of the scheme against Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals".

After conducting an enquiry and scrutinizing bills that were submitted for reimbursement, the department discovered that "the hospital has been charging extra amount from the beneficiaries under the West Bengal Health Scheme over and above the approved rates which is contrary to the provisions of the Memorandum of Association reached between the state government and the hospital".

It was also found that the doctors of the outpatient department are reluctant to accept fees at government approved rates. The beneficiaries had to pay more than the approved rates for a surgery.

The hospital authorities made the beneficiaries follow unnecessary extra procedures to get the benefits. At the same time the patients were made to undergo different tests which are contrary to the provisions of the agreement of the health scheme. The hospital has also failed to provide cashless facility to the government employees and pensioners without any valid reason.

The Finance department's medical cell has also pointed out in the notification that the hospital had been "prescribing costly antibiotics and consumables most of the times without any justification".

Moreover, the original tax invoices were not being provided by the hospital authorities and they didn't submit the same despite repeated requests from the medical cell or different government departments. It resulted to harassment of beneficiaries as they face inconvenience in getting their reimbursements without the tax invoices.