HC seeks report from charity commissioner after Bandra locals claim hospital charged them ₹12.5L

The Bombay high court (HC) has called for a report from the office of the charity commissioner regarding a charitable hospital, after seven slum dwellers from Bharat

The Bombay high court (HC) has called for a report from the office of the charity commissioner regarding a charitable hospital, after seven slum dwellers from Bharat Nagar in Bandra (West) alleged that the hospital had collectively charged them an exorbitant amount of 12.5 lakh for their Covid-19 treatment.

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The bench of justice RD Chanukah and justice Madhav Jamdar has called for an inquiry under the supervision of the charity commissioner to ascertain whether the hospital, located in the eastern suburbs, reserves 10℅ beds for indignant patients and provides them treatment free of cost.

In the petition filed through advocate Vivek Shukla, the residents said they had been admitted to the charitable hospital between April 11 and April 28 for Covid-19 treatment. They alleged that they were charged the amount for anaesthetic services, when no such services were required for their treatment.

They added that after they had been discharged from the hospital, they found that though the hospital is run by a charitable trust, which has availed several facilities from the state government, it did not provide mandatory free treatment to the patients belonging to the lower strata of the society.

The bench, after hearing their petition, said that there are serious allegations made in the petition regarding the alleged exorbitant charges collected by the hospital, and directed the hospital to file an affidavit indicating if similar charges at the same rates were recovered from other Covid-19 patients admitted at the hospital.

The court has directed that the affidavits be filed by June 19 and posted the petition for further hearing on June 23.