4 Bhubaneswar hospitals issued show-cause notices for cashless treatment denial

Bhubaneswar: Four private hospitals in Bhubaneswar have been issued show-cause notices by the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department for allegedly denying cashless treatment to patients despite being empanelled under the government health schemes and for reportedly charging exorbitant medical bills.

According to the recent news reports, the hospitals that received notices are Sun Shine Hospital, Apollo Hospital, Manipal Hospital, and IMS & SUM Hospital.

This information was shared by Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling while responding to questions raised by MLA Arabinda Mohapatra during the Odisha Assembly session on Monday.

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During the Assembly session, Mohapatra sought clarification from the government about complaints that private hospitals were denying cashless services and overcharging patients.

He stated that the four hospitals have been asked to explain why they did not provide cashless treatment despite being required to do so under government rules.

Pragativadi reported that Mahaling informed the assembly that the hospitals must clarify why these violations happened and why strict action should not be taken against them. He emphasised that the state government will adopt a zero-tolerance approach toward negligence that affects patient rights.

He further added that continuous monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure that such incidents do not recur and that all patients receive seamless, affordable, and transparent medical services.

Responding to MLA Mohapatra’s concerns about unethical pricing practices, the Minister clarified that the government has not yet received formal complaints on exorbitant billing beyond what has already been verified.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that to address the 'alarming' rise in the mortality among patients undergoing open heart surgery at the Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS) wing of SCB Medical College & Hospital (SCBMCH), Cuttack, the Odisha government has sought expert support from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Government Medical College, Kottayam.

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