FIR against Gurugram hospital for allegedly charging fees without administering COVID jab

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2021-07-06T18:55:55+05:30 | Updated On 6 July 2021 6:55 PM IST

FIR against Gurugram hospital for allegedly charging fees without administering COVID jab

Gurugram: An FIR has been registered against Chiranjivi Hospital in Jharsa for allegedly charging vaccination fees from beneficiaries while asking them to take the Covid-19 vaccine shot at government health centres.

Pulling up the hospital further, the district health department has issued a notice to the facility on Monday.

The hospital, on the other hand, has denied all the allegations and charges brought against it. The administration clarified that they just wanted to update the information of front-line workers who could not be documented in April.

As per district immunization officer, Dr MP Singh, the private hospital was empanelled with the health department when vaccination was opened for front-line workers and the elderly population until April 30, when the health department provided vaccine stock to empanelled hospitals.

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However, the officials alleged that the hospital did not have any stock of vaccines since the 1st of May, yet at least 53 slots under the name of the hospital remained open in the past week on the Co-WIN portal.

On July 3rd, the hospital came under the radar of the health officials after a vaccine beneficiary complained that the hospital was showing the availability of vaccines in the Co-WIN portal. However, when he reached the hospital and asked for the vaccine shot, the hospital directed him to get the vaccine shot at Civil Hospital in Sector 10. The complainant further claimed that he was not administered the shot though he paid for the dose.

"It is still unclear as to how the hospital opened the vaccination slot on Co-WIN without having any vaccine stock. Secondly, even if they procured the vaccine stock, why was it not being shared with the health department? Initial investigations have shown that the hospital sent people to multiple vaccination centres in Gurugram and Delhi but charged money from them," Singh told Hindustan Times.

Meanwhile, explaining the situation, Dr Amrish Soni, the director of Chiranjivi Hospital, told the daily, "Slots were opened on Co-WIN as we wanted to upload details of front-line workers who could not be documented in April. Since access to Co-WIN was granted recently, the vaccination team decided to upload the pending details. Also, we asked the people to take vaccine shots at government centres as we had no vaccine stock."

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Source : with inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.