No action against Jalandhar hospital found overcharging for covid-19 test

In his inquiry report, assistant commissioner (grievances) Randeep Gill found that hospital had charged Rs 5,500 for the test on July 21; the government has fixed maximum charges for the test, including taxes, at Rs 2,400

Jalandhar Even as Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has warned hospitals violating norms and rules related to the covid-19 pandemic of severe action, the state health department has not taken any action against Patel Hospital, Civil Lines, for overcharging a patient for the test to detect the virus on July 21. Deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, on August 6, had sent a report to the principal secretary (health) seeking action against the hospital.

Deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori, on August 6, had sent a report to the principal secretary (health) seeking action against the hospital(ANI)

In his inquiry report, assistant commissioner (grievances) Randeep Gill found that hospital had charged Rs 5,500 for the test on July 21; the government has fixed maximum charges for the test, including taxes, at Rs 2,400.

When contacted over phone, state principal secretary (health) Hussan Lal told HT, “We have written back to the Jalandhar DC last week that he is the competent authority to take action in this case, under the Epidemic and Disaster Management Act.”

Thori rejected Lal’s claim and said, “I have not received any copy of any order to date. I had written to higher authorities, seeking action based on the report and after receiving the order, appropriate action will be taken against Patel Hospital.”

The hospital wrongly charged Rs 3,100 extra from the complainant Rajeev Makol, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, towards the cost of PPE kits for safety of lab technicians and clinicians, violating state government orders, the DC’s report to the secretary says.

The report also mentions that the complainant met medical superintendent of the hospital, Dr Swapan Sood, who justified the higher rate, saying that the hospital was a private facility conducting the test locally. Dr Sood also claimed that the test charges were Rs 2,400, and the remaining amount was towards the PPE kit and doctor charges of pharyngeal swabbing.

The inquiry report, however, states, “The government order states that Rs 2,400 is inclusive of all expenses from tax to packaging, transportation, reporting and documentation. The money charged by the hospital for PPE kits has no ground.”