72-yr-old cured woman waits to go home as son has no money to foot hospital bill

Says he has already spent over 1.5 lakh on tests and other medical expenses but due to the lockdown , his business has been hit and he is unable to pay CMCH’s bill which is around 4.77 lakh

A 72-year-old Jalandhar-based woman who was cured of Covid-19 is waiting to go home as her son has no money to foot the hospital bill which runs into lakhs.

The patient was initially taken to a government facility from where she was referred to a private hospital, on which her son took her to CMCH. (HT FILE)

Expressing inability to pay the bill, Naresh Chhabra, who runs a stationery shop in Jalandhar, says he has already paid Rs 1.10 lakh to Christian Medical College and Hospital, where his mother was admitted, and spent Rs 40,000 on medicines and tests but there is still an outstanding bill of Rs 4.77 lakh.

“I am not in a position to pay such a huge amount as my business has already been hit due to the lockdown,” he said.

“My mother is a victim of a global pandemic and so the government must bear the cost of treatment,” Naresh said, adding that during a video call recently, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had assured all possible help to the family.

“We are pinning our hope on the CM to bail us out. At this time, all money lenders and financers are also facing a crisis. I, along with my family members, have been in quarantine and don’t know what condition my mother is in. I wish the hospital releases her soon,” he said.

He said his mother had developed symptoms of Covid-19 on March 18 and he had taken her to a local government facility. “She was unable to breath and had cough and fever but as she did not have a travel history, the doctors said she could not be suffering from Covid-19,” he said, adding that the hospital then referred her to a private hospital.

Naresh said that he then took her to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMC&H), where she tested positive for the virus.

CMCH, meanwhile, maintained that the hospital has discharged the woman as she has fully recovered.

DC FIXES RATES

Later in the evening, Ludhiana deputy commissioner Pradeep Agrawal issued a statement that as per Union government directions, no private health facility can charge more than the rates of specified under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS). He warned of strict action against those hospitals violating these directions.

Dr Vineeth Jaison, in-charge of the Covid-19 facility at CMCH, stated that they had received the direction from the government following which they revised the bill. “The revised bill now stands at Rs 3.62 lakh. The patient’s family was duly informed about the revised rates but they refused to pay,” said Dr Vineeth.