Alleged refusal to admit patient in emergency care: Kolkata Hospital slapped Rs 25000 fine

Kolkata: Taking a strict action against AMRI Mukundapur, West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has imposed a fine of Rs 25000 on the facility for being negligent in providing emergency treatment to a critical patient.

This came after the  commission found discrepancies in the hospital's statement during the hearing. 

The complainant claimed that patient was in a critical condition and he was airlifted from Lucknow. His father immediately rushed him to AMRI Mukundapur as soon as he reached the airport. On reaching the facility, the hospital authorities inquired if the patient had any medical insurance otherwise they would admit him as a cash patient.

The patient’s father informed the hospital that they are covered by the West Bengal Health Scheme (WBHS). However, the hospital refused to admit the patient stating that they did not have vacant beds under WBHS. The patient was taken to another private facility.

The complainant claimed that despite knowing the condition of the patient, who required immediate treatment, they refused to take the patient in and did not provide any emergency treatment. Initially, the hospital filed their response stating that that they had 15 WBHS patients on that day. The commission sought supporting documents to validate the hospital's claim. However, the hospital provided the roster of all patients without identifying the patients who sought admission under WBHS. 

During the hearing, the hospital changed its statement and claimed that around 26 patients were admitted under the WBHS at that time. Moreover, the commission also inquired about the emergency treatment that they provide before sending the patient somewhere else. 

At first, the hospital responded by saying that if the patient was indeed that critical, he would have opted for treatment in Lucknow itself. On this statement , WBCERC Chairman Justice Asim Banerjee stated, "We were disappointed to hear this kind of statement coming from a hospital. However, during the hearing, the hospital claimed that the duty manager urged the patient’s family to wait for some time to get the emergency treatment but the patient already left. The hospital could not provide any document to support their claim. We have found several inconsistencies in the statement of the hospital and have imposed a fine of Rs 25000 on the facility."