Overcharging of Covid patients: 3 pvt hospitals in Panchkula to refund another ₹21 lakh

Take call after a self-audit; had already reimbursed ₹35.43 lakh after being found guilty in April by a district-level monitoring committee

Three private hospitals in Panchkula, which have already reimbursed ₹35.43 lakh after being found guilty of overcharging Covid patients, have agreed to refund an additional ₹21.46 lakh after conducting a self-audit on the deputy commissioner’s directions of bills issued in April .

Now, the hospitals have been asked to submit a self-audit report for the month of May. (AP)

The issue came to light when Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta visited one of the hospitals and a patient complained of overcharging. After that, more complaints started pouring in. Following that, a district-level monitoring committee found them guilty.

The hospitals are Paras Hospital, Alchemist Hospital (including Ojas Hospital as it is owned by the same company) and Wings Hospital .

DC Vinay Partap Singh said: “They have paid partly and will refund the rest of the amount soon. Now, we have directed them to do a self-audit for May and submit a report within three weeks.”

BB Singhal, member of the Haryana State Pharmacy Council and Covid bill monitoring committee, said the hospitals have proposed to refund an amount of around ₹21.46 lakh after identifying excess charges in 33 bills.

‘’Of these 33 Covid bills, six were from Alchemist, 10 from Ojas and 17 from Paras Hospital,’’ he said.