Karnataka: 5 hospitals slapped with notice for overcharging COVID patients despite government fixing rates
The private hospitals refuse to toe with the government order of charging as per rules and continue to harass Covid patients and their families, and as a result, the government slapped a show-cause notice to five big hospitals in Bengaluru.
FollowDespite government raiding several private hospitals in the recent past following complaints of harassment, overcharging and other anomalies, private hospitals refuse to budge and fall in line. As a result, the Karnataka government on Wednesday slapped a show-cause notice to five big hospitals.
The hospitals were accused of excessive billing, overcharging patients and harassing them of either not releasing the body in case of death or forcefully confining the patients on the day of discharge.
The hospitals will also face FIR if they fail to come out with details of billing on patients and their relatives who complained within three days. Ashwini Hospital, St. John’s Hospital, Athreya Hospital, KK Hospital and Sparsh Hospital.
As per the Department of Health and Family Welfare, these hospitals were clearly in violation of the rule set by Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust which has fixed the price for treatment of Covid and for those patients who get a private quota for admission.
"We are contemplating on booking these hospitals under Karnataka Private Medical Establishment Act 2017 and also under Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Ordinance 2020 (Karnataka Ordinance 7 of 2020) and Disaster Management Act 2005 along other Indian Penal Code sections." an official was quoted.
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