Hyderabad: The Congress party on Tuesday accused corporate hospitals of including in ‘organised loot’ through exorbitant billing from the patients and their relatives.
Led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Minorities Dept Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, a team of Congress leaders including Hyderabad City Congress Minorities Dept chairman Sameer Waliullah Ranga Reddy Dist Chairman Mohammed Riyaz and others, on Tuesday visited Vrinchi Hospital at Banjara Hills to enquire into a complaint of exorbitant and erroneous billing of a patient. They met the hospital authorities and asked them to explain the reasons behind charging exorbitant amounts for regular services. However, the authorities sought 4 days time from the Congress leaders to come up with a detailed reply and assured that they would rectify the mistakes, if any.
Speaking to media persons later, Abdullah Sohail said that Vrinchi was not the only hospital which is being accused of exorbitant billing. He said the complaint was common with almost all corporate and private hospitals. He alleged that the corporate Hospitals were looting the patients by flouting all the norms, rules and ethics. “They are playing with the sentiments of patients and their relatives. These corporate and private hospitals have turned into centres of extortion. Their billing methods are completely illogical and amounts to open cheating,” he said.
Citing the examples of billing in corporate hospitals in the city, Abdullah Sohail pointed out that when a patient visits a corporate hospital, he/she is charged Rs. 500 towards Consultation Fee. This remains valid for a week and don’t charge again, if the patient re-visits within that week. However, when the same patient gets admitted in the hospital, the same doctor charges them Rs. 1200-1500 per visit. In addition to the doctor who has recommended admission and treating the patient, a few more specialists visit the patient. Their Consultation Charges too are added to the bill although the patient never seeks their visit on voluntary basis.
The Congress leader also slammed the corporate hospitals for having different prices for the same medicines for In-Patients and Out-Patients. In what way the prices of medicines are linked to the patient’s status as in-patient or out-patient. Similarly, the Nursing Charges again is a huge burden on patients. The combined monthly salary of all the nurses might not be so high compared to the nursing charges they levy on a single patient, he said.
Further, he said that the rental charges for an oxygen cylinder hired at home are a maximum of Rs. 300 per day. But the hospitals are charging nearly Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 5,000 per day for supplying oxygen to the patients.
“Since common people are unable to easily understand the medical bills, the corporate hospitals are exploiting their ignorance. For normal Malaria or Dengue cases, Vrinchi is charging nearly Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 50,000 for 4-5 days of admission. In some serious diseases, the average billing is even up to Rs. 1 lakh per day,” he said.
Abdullah Sohail accused the corporate hospitals of robbing people of their entire savings. “There are acting in an inhuman and brutal manner. They are only concerned about collecting money without realising even for a moment as to how people would pay them. The exorbitant bills of corporate hospitals have ruined thousands of families. People who might have saved money for their childre’s education or daughter’s marriage had spent to clear hospital bills,” he said.
The Congress leader said that the Telangana Government was not taking any measures to regulate the corporate and private hospitals. He said as per the rules all hospitals are required to display the tariff card at a prominent place in the hospitals. However, neither hospitals are following this norm, nor State Government is taking action against them. “State Government is not improving the facilities and conditions in public hospitals. Consequently, a majority of people, especially middle-class people, are forced to visit a private or corporate hospitals. The Congress party will not tolerate this exploitation by corporate hospitals,” he warned. He said that the Vrinchi Hospital authorities had sought 4-days time to clarify on wrong and exorbitant billings. He warned that a massive agitation, both on ground and online, would be launched against the ‘healthcare mafia’. (NSS)
