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Dispute between docs & SP MLA over hosp billing intensifies in Meerut
A delegation of doctors, led by Dr Sandeep Jain, the head of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Meerut unit, met with deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak in Lucknow on Sunday.
MEERUT The ongoing clash between doctors and Samajwadi Party MLA Atul Pradhan from Sardhana has intensified, revolving around the contentious issue of excessive hospital billing in Meerut.
A delegation of doctors, led by Dr Sandeep Jain, the head of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Meerut unit, met with deputy chief minister Brijesh Pathak in Lucknow on Sunday. Dr Jain expressed concerns about the “insecure” atmosphere in hospitals, warning that it could hinder efficient medical services. The delegation, including Dr Tarun Goel, Dr JV Chikara, and Dr Sandeep Garg, underscored the need for the effective implementation of the Medical Protection Act to prevent such incidents.
Simultaneously, student organisations launched a signature campaign across the city, decrying the exploitation and overbilling of treatment in hospitals. MLA Atul Pradhan’s supporters marched in solidarity, asserting their stance against the allegations.
The confrontation ignited last week when a dispute over the billing for a patient from Pradhan’s constituency led to a heated altercation. The patient was removed from the hospital premises without settling the final bill. In response, the private hospital filed a complaint against the MLA with the police and administration.
Meanwhile, an investigation uncovered irregularities in the sale of medicines. The MLA and the patient’s family members has accused the hospital management of not providing sufficient discounts on medications. Additional district magistrate (finance) Suryakant Tripathi investigated the allegations and discovered that the hospital issues an identity number to the pharmacy for patients, and medicines are sold based on this number. “It was the hospital’s internal system they developed to ensure the delivery of genuine medicines, and discounts of 10-to-54% were also given on medicines,” stated Tripathi.
While the IMA and other doctor organisations have aligned with the hospital, MLA Atul Pradhan has vowed to take the matter to the public. In fact, support for the MLA has extended beyond political lines, with the Azad Adhikar Sena pledging solidarity. Their leader, Amitabh Thakur, announced that Sena members would join the MLA’s proposed indefinite hunger strike starting December 4.
Zila Panchayat members and the Choudhary Charan Singh University Teachers Association have also thrown their support behind Atul Pradhan. The MLA voiced his concerns about police bias to ADG Meerut, Rajeev Sabharwal.
Commenting on the turmoil, former minister and SP MLA Shahid Manzoor advocated for strengthening government medical services to address such issues. He highlighted the perennial problem of overbilling in private hospitals and emphasised the need for improved medical facilities in government health centres to prevent such confrontations.
