Patient charged twice for doc fees; pvt hosp asked to return amount

kolkata: A gynecologist from a top city hospital demanded and received Rs 55,000 in private as fees from the family members of a 23-year-old woman from Nadia, who had given birth to the baby in addition to what they had paid to the hospital as doctor's fees.

The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has taken exception of the incident and directed the private hospital to return the amount that they had taken from the patient's husband as doctor's fees as the treating doctor had already received fees.

Hospital has however claimed that they had no clue about what the doctor had received from the patient's family members.

Arup Ghosh, a resident of Pratap Nagar area of Nabadwip in Nadia admitted his wife Sujata Ghosh (23) to a top city hospital for delivery.

The patient's husband mentioned in the complaint with the WBCERC that the doctor told him to make a bank transfer of Rs 55,000 to his account. The patient's husband transfered the amount to his account.

The doctor on the very next day gave a bill to the family saying that the money was taken as additional ceasure charge.

The WBCERC has served a notice to the private hospital and wanted to know about the matter. The WBCERC has said that it is unethical as the patient had paid twice under the same head.

In a separate incident, the WBCERC on Thursday withdrew the suspension of license on Misba Nursing Home after it fulfilled the necessary requirements of infrastructure.

The Commission had earlier ordered a suspension of license after it found some lapses. The Commission had earlier directed the Chief Medical Officer of Health in South 24-Parganas to conduct a probe.