District Collector bans one more private hospital in Coimbatore for exorbitant medical charges in treating Covid-19 patients
Coimbatore: Private hospitals in Coimbatore have been converted into Coronavirus treatment centers as per government orders but in violation of the medical fee stipulated by the Government as well as just plain humanitarian reasons, various private hospitals in Coimbatore have looted Covid-19 patients to the tune of Rs. 10 - 20 lakhs and more.
Thus far, action has been taken against four hospitals due to complaints from the grieving public. Another private hospital, Manu Hospital in Sungam has now been banned from providing Covid-19 treatment.
Mohankumar (54) who hails from the Sitra area of Coimbatore was admitted to Manu Hospital on May 29, near Sungam Bypass Road. It is said that the hospital management which charged Rs. 60,000 for the first day's treatment, charged Rs. 40,000 subsequently for each day of the treatment. Following this, Mohankumar who was receiving treatment at Manu Hospital alleged that he had been charged more than the prescribed fee and his brother Mahalingam filed a petition with the Coimbatore District Collector urging him to take appropriate action.
When asked to respond to Mohankumar's allegations, Manu Hospital responded saying that they could comment only after verifying the documents of the person who had been admitted and treated. The same hospital has been the target of complaints for the past few days amid allegations that private hospitals are overcharging for Covid-19 treatment. Now as one more complaint has been lodged in this regard, Manu Hospital's license to provide Covid-19 treatment has been revoked, close on the heels of a complaint that Muthus Hospital in Saravanampatti area was overcharging, a few days ago.
The Tamil Nadu government has stated in the High Court that the licenses of private hospitals charging exorbitant medical treatment fees over and above that stipulated by the Governemnt, will be revoked. Addressing the media after attending a meeting of the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation on Wednesday, the Urban Development Minister K N Nehru said that following the complaints received about exorbitant fees being charged by private hospitals, action initiated against such hospitals has reduced such instances of a Covid patient being overcharged for medical treatment. The Minister reassured the public that action would continue against erring hospitals if any complaint was raised by patients.