44 Hyderabad Hospitals refund Rs 1.6 crore for overcharging during COVID Pandemic: RTI

Hyderabad: Around 44 Hyderabad-based hospitals had to return around Rs 1.61 crore to the patients after they were found to be overcharging during COVID-19 pandemic by Telangana Health and Family Welfare Department last year.

According to recent media reports, such information has been revealed as a response to an RTI, filed by Secunderabad-based RTI activist Robin Zaccheus. The response revealed that as of June 22, 2021, a total of Rs 1,61,22,484 was returned to the patients.

This amount of refund has been calculated on the basis of 87 complaints that the State Health Department had received.

Among the 44 Hospitals, Kukatpally based Omni Hospital topped the list as it had to return Rs 27,41,948 to the patients. Apart from this, Uppal based TX Hospital had to return Rs 10,85,000, Medicare Hospital, Hi-tech city had to return Rs 10,82,205, and Century Hospital, Banajara Hills had to return Rs 10 lakh.

The list of hospitals that had to return less than 10 lakh includes Prathima Hospital, Kukatpally, which had to return Rs 8,22,032, L B Nagar-based Ankura Hospital and Divya Hospital which had to return Rs 6,17,000 and Rs 6 lakh respectively, Medicover Hospital that had to return Rs 5,79,000 etc.

Also Read: Hyderabad: Doctor accuses private hospital of overcharging her of Rs 1.15 lakh for 1 day

Besides, N Care Hospital, RC Puram had to return Rs 5.5 lakh, Care Hospital, Hi-tech city had to return Rs 5.45 lakh, Basheerbagh-based Hyderabad Nursing Home, and  Gachibowli based Sunshine Hospital had to return Rs 5 lakh each, Kachiguda based TX Hospital had to return Rs 3,99,440, Miyapur based Archana Hospital had to return Rs 3,99,440, Narapally based Ankura Hospital had to return Rs 3,85,613, Lakdikapul based Lotus Hospital had to return Rs 3,41,130, and Nagole based Supraja Hospitals had to return Rs 3,20,000 to its patients.

Other hospitals which are included in the list are Advitha Hospital, Medchal, Ashvins Hospital, Aster Prime Hospital, Bhringi Hospital, Care hospitals, Banjara Hills, Global Hospital at L B Nagar and Lakdikapul, KIMS Kondapur, KIMS Secunderabad, Mallareddy Narayana Super Specialty Hospital, Mana Hospitals, Kukatpally, Medisys Hospital, L.B Nagar, National Institute of Gastro Entrology, Navajeevan Hospital, Karkhana, Neelima Hospital, Sanath Nagar, Omega Bannu Hospital, Warangal, Omega Hospitals, Banajara Hills, Padmaja Hospital, KPHB, PRK Hospitals Chandanagar, Raghavendra Hospital, Bowenpally, Sai Krishna Neuro Super Specialty Hospital, Sai Siddhartha Hospital, Shalini Hospital, Shresta Sai Kamala Hospital, Srikara Hospital, and Vinn Hospital, Begunpet, revealed the RTI reply as reported by the News Minute.

The daily further adds that the information obtained through RTI seems to contradict the submission made by the Telangana Public Health and Family Welfare Department Director Dr G Srinivas, who had informed the High Court on June 2, 2021 that they had recovered Rs 3 crore from private hospitals for overcharging patients during the first wave of the pandemic.

At that time, the official had also submitted before the HC bench that they had received a total of 174 complaints against private hospitals and 139 show cause notices were served. Further, the court had also been informed about the termination of license of 22 hospitals by the Department, which did not find their responses to be satisfactory.

In reply to another RTI application by activist Kareem Ansari, the department said that till April 2022, it received 843 complaints against 268 private hospitals across Telangana for overcharging and defying orders on treatment charges set by the state government. Refunds were initiated for 87 complaints received between November 2020 and June 2021, it has revealed, adds The Indian Express.

Also Read: Patiala Private hospital warned against Overcharging for Covid Vaccination