Panel probing complaints from patients orders action against two Noida hospitals

The pandemic public grievance committee (PPGC), set up in Gautam Budh Nagar to address complaints against health-care facilities, on Tuesday ordered action against two private hospitals -- for overcharging a patient and, in the second case, over medical negligence

The pandemic public grievance committee (PPGC), set up in Gautam Budh Nagar to address complaints against health-care facilities, on Tuesday ordered action against two private hospitals -- for overcharging a patient and, in the second case, over medical negligence.

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While the hospital that was found to have overcharged a patient has been asked to refund over ₹3 lakh to the patient’s family, the other has been directed to take action against its paramedics for medical negligence, the committee president said.

The committee was set up on May 21 this year after the Allahabad high court, on May 11, directed the Uttar Pradesh government to set up a three-member committee in each district to look into complaints regarding difficulties faced by the public in availing of Covid treatment at government and private hospitals.

Civil judge Sushil Kumar, who was appointed the president of the committee in Guatam Budh Nagar, said the committee heard over 30 complaints over the past one month.

“The maximum number of complaints -- 17 -- was regarding overcharging for HRCT scan ( a technique to get cross-sectional images of organs such as lungs) by various hospitals and labs in the district after the government capped its price at ₹2,500. Such cases were resolved immediately and the establishments concerned were ordered to refund the excess amount. Now, only seven complaints are pending which will be heard soon,” he said.

He further said the committee has not received any new complaint in the past one week.

Asked about the two hospitals against which action has been ordered, Kumar said the committee had received a complaint of overcharging against Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida . “On June 28, a meeting of PPGC was convened to look into a complaint in which a man had alleged that Yatharth Hospital overcharged him for the Covid-19 treatment of his father who was admitted to the hospital on April 15 and discharged on May 7. The complainant’s father died three days later on May 10,” Kumar said.

The hospital charged ₹8 lakh for the 22-day stay at the hospital, which was ₹3.39 lakh more as per the rates fixed by the state government, Kumar said. “The committee asked the hospital to refund the excess amount of ₹3.39 lakh to the complainant within 10 days. If the hospital fails to do so, action will be taken against it as per the rules of the Epidemic Act,” said Kumar.

When asked, Dr Sunil Balyan, chief medical superintendent at Yatharth Hospital, said the hospital will comply with the orders issued by the committee.

In another case heard by the committee, a complainant alleged that her husband died at Kailash Hospital in Sector 71 due to the medical negligence of its staff.

“The complainant alleged that on the night of May 17, the paramedics removed her husband’s oxygen mask and told him ‘now you die’. The patient’s wife had complained regarding this to the hospital authorities, including the medical superintendent,” said Kumar.

“The arguments of the hospital and the complainant were heard by the committee on June 28. We found that the two paramedics on duty on the night of May 17-18 led to the patient’s death and they were guilty of medical negligence,” said Kumar.

Consequently, the committee ordered that the hospital management take action against the two paramedics within a weekand also inform the panel about the action taken by it.

However, the authorities of Kailash Hospital said no such order has been sent to the hospital yet. “We did take part in the hearing, but we have not received any order as yet,” said Dr Rajesh Parasher, medical superintendent at Kailash Hospital, Sector 71.