WBCERC fines private hospital Rs 9 lakh for medical negligence, another told to refund Rs 80000 for overbilling

Kolkata: Cracking a whip on two private hospitals, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has asked the facilities to pay Rs 9 lakh and Rs 80000 after finding them guilty of medical negligence and overbilling, respectively.

The first case is connected to Aragya Niketan Hospital of Uttarpara, West Bengal, where a 26-year-old female underwent treatment for dengue. According to the chairperson of the commission, retired judge Ashim Banerjee, the young woman was admitted to the hospital on September 28 and stayed there till October 2 last year. Her platelet count came down abruptly and she was taken to a private hospital in Kolkata on October 3, where she died within a few hours.

" The medical experts of the commission found the hospital guilty of medical negligence as there was an interpolation in the platelet records with a pen. When the commission questioned the pathologist about it, he stated accepted that the numbers were indeed changed with a pen. As an explanation, he said that the machine and manual counts were different and so a hospital employee had made corrections with a pen. However, there were no initials with the correction", added Mr Banerjee.

 After much deliberation ultimately the commission found that there was medical negligence on part of the hospital and therefore asked them to pay Rs 9 lakh as compensation to the complainant. 

The next case concerns Woodland Hospital and the commission has ordered the facility to initiate a refund of Rs 79562 to the complainant. The commission has also ordered an administrative inquiry against the hospital. The complainant stated that his wife was suffering from acute pain and was rushed to the hospital on 15th September last year. She underwent an appendix operation the very next day.

She remained in the hospital for three days and the hospital charged them Rs 1,79,562. The complainant was found overcharging and filed a complaint with the commission.

"After investigation, we found that the hospital was not following the advisory issued by the commission. The hospital agreed to give discounts on consumables but we spotted some shocking facts. At last the hospital agreed to refund Rs 79562. However, we have administrative enquiry," stated Chairman Mr. Banerjee.