5 Yavatmal hospitals told to refund Rs1.91L to Covid patients

Yavatmal: Five private Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCHs) in the city have been ordered to refund excess amount collected from 24 patients within seven days, failing which a penalty of Rs1,000 per day will be imposed on the defaulters which will be paid to the concerned patients.
As per the order issued by district collector Amol Yedge, a total of Rs1,90,800 has to be credited to the account of the respective patients.
After receiving complaints about overcharging by hospitals, the collector had appointed auditors to verify the treatment and bills given to the patients.
After receiving the auditors’ reports, the erring hospitals were asked to explain their position within 15 days.
On finding the DCHs’ replies unsatisfactory, the administration rejected their claims and asked to refund excess charges recovered from Covid patients.
The administration has already fixed Covid-19 treatment charges and the same was informed to all private hospitals treating Covid patients. Flouting the directive, the hospitals had recovered excess amount from the patients, the auditors’ had found.
The administration has warned the erring hospitals of action under Section 51 (C) of the Disaster Management Act.
The amount ordered to refund is: Ujawane Hospital (Rs81,700 to 7 patients), Rathod Hospital (Rs18,600 to 4 patients), Shah Hospital (Rs16,600 to 5 patients), Saishraddha Hospital (Rs47,900 to 7 patients) and Dhawane Hospital (Rs26,000 to 1 patient) making a total of Rs1,90,800.
Earlier, relatives of a deceased Covid patient from Ghatanji tehsil had ransacked Shah Hospital alleging overcharging.