‘Fleeced’ by private facilities, patients’ kin cry for relief in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A screenshot of a provisional bill estimate from a private hospital in Kolkata, which adds up to Rs 10.4 lakh, has gone viral over social media and has raised questions about the lack of transparency. The bill mentions astronomical amounts under various heads. For investigations and ward medicines and consumables for a 14-day period, the bill provides an estimate of Rs 7.1 lakh, accounting for around 69% of the total estimated bill.This comes a day after the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) barred private hospitals from charging more than 20% of the estimated cost of treatment or a maximum of Rs 50,000, whichever is less, as advance deposit at the time of admission.
The Facebook post about the estimated bill went viral after the patient’s daughter sought financial help. In subsequent posts later in the day, she clarified that she had made the post only to seek financial help through crowdfunding. She added that her 55-year-old father was put on prone ventilation and his lungs have been damaged, but doctors were trying their best.
The post was shared over WhatsApp and Facebook where people criticized the billing system. It was, however, deleted from the woman’s timeline on Sunday evening.
Sritama Sarkar of Jodhpur Park, who now lives in Stockholm, complained to the WBCERC last week about exorbitant billing. For a 26-day hospital stay, after which her father Kishore passed away on July 23, the family had to pay Rs 17.1 lakh. Sarkar told TOI that the bill for medicines alone came to Rs 7.7 lakh. She joined a video conference on July 31 as part of the hearing held by WBCERC and lodged a complaint. “The commission wanted to know if I was willing to contest the inflated bill and accordingly I submitted my affidavit. I do not know if there was medical negligence as well, so I urge the commission to probe it. My father tested positive after his admission,” she said.
Rashbehari Avenue resident Bikram Banerjee said he had to shell out Rs 60,000 for his mother’s one night of hospital stay and was given an estimate of Rs 1.1 lakh if she stayed another night. “My 58-year-old mother’s basic health parameters were not even checked properly. Her oxygen saturation level had dropped to 85%, but she was initially not provided oxygen support. I had to provide her with an oximeter and there were no attendants to help her walk till the washroom. The hospital denied the allegations,” Banerjee said. The bill claimed she had had an X-ray, but my mother’s jewellery was not taken off.
For the family of Kolkata Police constable Dipankar Sarkar, who was hospitalized for 25 days at a private hospital before passing away last week, the hospital gave a bill of Rs 16 lakh. His colleagues went into a negotiation and reduced it to Rs 13 lakh, of which the family could pay only half.
A senior private hospital official said, “On an average, total billing in general ward for Covid patients not requiring critical care does not exceed Rs 2 lakh in our hospital. For patients in ICU, the average cost is between Rs 3.5 lakh-Rs 4.5 lakh, though there might be deviations in some critical cases.”