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Since the cases relating to COVID-19 are rising on hourly basis, inadequate beds in government hospitals, in the absence of any check regarding the implementation of notification regarding the treatment rates of COVID-19, private hospitals had started charging exorbitant amounts from the patients on daily basis.
One such instance caught the attention of Mr. Navkiran Singh, Managing Partner of Navkiran Singh and Associates, when his maternal uncle Mr. A. B Singh Wasu, who is 82 years old and a retired Additional Sessions judge from Punjab Judiciary was having fever and was in bad shape and the family decided to get him admitted in LANDMARK HOSPITAL Sector 33, Chandigarh. Family members got him admitted in the said hospital at 22.43 Hrs of 21.04.21 and the hospital authorities started treating him. On the morning of 22.04.21, the hospital authorities got a CT scan conducting upon him, on the result of which the hospital decided to get him tested for Covid 19 and also shift him to Covid ward.
On 22.04.21 Mr. Navkiran Singh visited the hospital and met Dr. Amandeep Singh and Mr. Anil, who told him on enquiry that the charges for General ward for Covid patients are Rs. 14000/- per day and Private room was Rs. 20,000/-. He was astonished to note the exorbitant rates being charged by the Hospital and then the family decided to shift my uncle to Sector 32 Hospital.
On receipt of a COVID-19 Positive report on 23.04.21, uncle of Mr. Navkiran Singh got shifted to GMCH sector 32 from where he was further referred to sector 48 hospital.
However, Mr. Navkiran Singh felt that his family has been fleeced by LANDMARK HOSPITAL Sector 33 Chandigarh. Total bill paid by the family of Mr. Navkiran Singh for 2 days amounting to Rs 36,500 is hereunder:
However, thereafter, Mr. Navkiran brought the same to the notice of Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana during the hearing of a PIL on 23.04.21 which was duly mentioned in the order as well, which is as follows:
During the course of hearing Mr. Navkiran Singh, Advocate has intervened and brought to the notice of the court that certain private hospitals are charging exorbitant fee and are fleecing the public. This is happening due to lack of control by the authorities.
It has been assured by all the three States that such grievance would be promptly looked into and punitive measures shall be taken against such private hospital and medical institutions, if the situation so warrants. Further, assurance has been given that surprise checks shall also be conducted by the concerned authorities on such private facilities.
Copy of complete order dated 23.04.2021 passed in the CRWP- 242- 2021 is as follows:
In compliance to the above-said order, UT Health Department has brought to the notice of General Public the fixed charges at private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics for treatment of COVID-19 patients at private health institutes which were fixed vide notification dated 19.08.2020. The department classified the hospitals into two categories – NABH accredited hospital and Non-NABH accredited hospital.
As per the health department, the sickness of any patient has also been divided into three categories – moderate, severe and very severe.
In moderate sickness, the patients have to pay Rs. 9,000 and Rs. 8,000 for getting isolation beds including supportive care and oxygen in NABH accredited and Non-NABH accredited hospitals respectively.
In severe sickness, the charges will be Rs. 14,000 and Rs. 13,000 for getting ICU without need for a ventilator in NABH accredited and Non-NABH accredited hospitals respectively.
In very severe sickness, the patients will be charged Rs. 16,500 and Rs. 15,000 for getting ICU with ventilator care in NABH accredited and Non-NABH accredited hospitals respectively.
In case of mild sickness, the NABH accredited hospital has to charge Rs. 5,500 per day for admitting a patient whereas the Non-NABH accredited hospitals will not charge more than Rs. 4,500 for the same.
