Private hospitals in Haryana’s Panchkula district will refund an amount of ₹21.46 lakh ‘overcharged’ from COVID-19 patients for their treatment, even as they are in the process of refunding a similarly charged amount of ₹35.43 lakh.
The latest amount of ₹21.46 lakh has been calculated after self-audit of bills by the hospitals from March 1 to April 30. A district-level committee was constituted by Haryana Speaker and local MLA Gian Chand Gupta to look into complaints of ‘overcharging’ by private hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19.
Mr. Gupta said that on the recommendations of the committee an amount of ₹35.43 lakh in different cases that was ‘overcharged’ was already being returned by private hospitals. “Apart from this, an additional amount of ₹21.46 lakh calculated after self-audit of bills by private hospitals will be paid to the patients and their families,” he said.
B.B. Singhal, member of the Covid bill monitoring committee, told The Hindu on Friday that on the recommendation of the panel, Alchemist Hospital, Wings Hospital and Paras Hospital were in the process of refunding an amount of ₹35 lakh to patients and their families.
“Apart from this, 33 cases were reviewed by private hospitals from March 1 to April 30 and, on the basis of self-audit of bills, an amount of ₹21 lakh would be refunded; 6 cases are from Alchemist Hospital, 10 from Ojas Hospital and 17 from Paras Hospital,” he said.
Mr. Singhal said the self-audit by hospitals was still continuing and they had been directed to submit a report before the committee by July 31.
The committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Imran Raza. During the second wave of COVID-19, several patients and their families had met Mr. Gupta and complained that private hospitals were overcharging for treatment.
Taking cognisance of the complaints, the Speaker had recommended the formation of the panel.
