Probe finds Jalandhar private hospital overcharged for Covid-19 test
Inquiry report handed over to health dept says government order capping expenses at Rs 2,400 is inclusive of all expenses, including taxes, so money charged by hospital for PPE kits holds no ground
Jalandhar: The Jalandhar district administration has found the authorities of Patel Hospital at Civil Lines here charged Rs 5,500 for a Covid-19 test on July 21 even as the government has fixed the maximum charges, including taxes, at Rs 2,400.
The hospital wrongly charged Rs 3,100 towards the cost of the personal protective equipment (PPE) kit for the safety of lab technicians and clinicians, ignoring state government orders of July 18 that caps the Covid-19 test charges at Rs 2,400.
An inquiry was marked by deputy commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on July 22 on the complaint of Rajeev Makol, a resident of Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar, who needed his Covid report to travel out of Punjab. Makol said he got to know about the fixed charges only after his friend was charged Rs 2,400 for the test at another lab.
Assistant commissioner (grievances) Randeep Gill, who conducted the inquiry, said in his final report submitted to the state health department on Saturday that the hospital was overcharging for the test.
The report said that the complainant met medical superintendent Dr Swapan Sood but he justified the higher rate, saying that Patel Hospital is a private facility conducting the test locally. Dr Sood said that the hospital charged Rs 2,400 for the test but the remaining amount was towards the PPE kit and doctor charges of pharyngeal swabbing.
“The government order states that Rs 2,400 is inclusive and all expenses from tax to packaging, transportation, reporting and documentation is included. Money charged by the hospital for PPE kits holds no ground,” the inquiry report said.
LIABLE FOR ACTION
“The provision of PPE and personnel taking samples are basic protocol of the Indian Council of Medical Research. No laboratory can conceive taking a swab without a PPE kit and qualified personnel. Patel Hospital has erroneously or wilfully charged more than the amount directed by the government and is liable for appropriate action,” Gill said, adding that the DC has submitted the report to the state health department for further action.
PATEL HOSPITAL STATEMENT
In a statement, Patel Hospital said it did not agree with report filed by the assistant commissioner (grievances). The statement added that it was not a private laboratory, but included several other facilities like isolation wards, oxygen supply etc. The isolation ward charges fixed by the government at Rs 9,000 per day included, Rs 1,200 towards PPE charges and some others. The capped cost does not include sample collection charges or isolation charges, which are besides this, the hospital has said.
Meanwhile, suspecting discrepancy in the testing of Covid-19 samples, the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is also conducting an audit of the RT-PCR tests being carried out at Patel Hospital.
Special secretary, health, Isha Kalia had written to PGIMER director Dr Jagat Ram that Patel Hospital, Jalandhar, reported 26.34% positivity rate of the 205 samples put through the RT-PCR (real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) tests for Covid-19. This is high compared to other government and private labs.
