Swasthya Sathi non-compliance: Woodland Hosp warned of stern action
kolkata: West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has warned Woodlands Multispecialty Hospital that stern action would be taken against them if any patient is denied admission under Swasthya Sathi scheme.
The Commission has taken an exception after the hospital authorities had told the family members of a patient that they wouldn't accept Swasthya Sathi card.
Soubhik Mondal, a resident of Maheshtala admitted his father Sisir Kumar Mondal to the Woodlands hospital following cardiology related issues. The patient was admitted against a specific mediclaim policy.
The family members tried to switch to Swasthy Sathi in the middle of the treatment but the hospital refused to do so. The hospital authorities have clarified before the Commission that it was difficult to switch to another policy midway.
The patient's family members told the Commission that the hospital had said that they don't accept Swasthya Sathi cards. The WBCERC has therefore expressed dissatisfaction over the incident and alerted the hospital.
"The hospital authorities claimed that they do not refuse Swasthya Sathi patients. We have asked them how many patients they are treating under the Swasthya Sathi scheme currently. There are around 154 patients now undergoing treatment at the hospital out of which only 2 are under Swasthya Sathi scheme. It shows that the hospital has apathy towards Swasthya Sathi patients. Action will be taken against the hospital if any incident of Swasthya Sathi refusal occurs in the hospital," WBCERC Chairman Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said.
The Commission also directed the hospital to return around Rs 30,000 as they did not follow the rate chart fixed by the Commission. The Commission also cautioned Jeevandeep nursing home against the refusal of Swasthya Sathi card. The Commission was hearing a case of one Sushil Das.
In another incident, the WBCERC asked Apollo Gleneagles Hospital to refund of around Rs 63,000 in connection with the treatment of Chandi Charan Dutta (73) as the hospital had charged exorbitantly flouting the advisory of the Commission.
