West Bengal: Hospital skips WBCERC hearing, slapped fine
Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has taken strict action against Bhagirathi Neotia Hospital for its absence at a scheduled commission hearing. The hospital has been penalized and directed to pay Rs 5,000 each to three involved parties: the complainant, Bellevue Nursing Home, and Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, all of whom were present during the hearing.
This recent commission hearing was a revisit to an older case where Bhagirathi Neotia Hospital was initially fined Rs 20 lakh. The case revolved around the hospital's alleged refusal to treat a pregnant woman, who also happened to be a gynaecologist. Initially, the patient had approached Apollo Gleneagles Hospital for care, but they declined admission, citing constraints during the COVID period. Following this, she was taken to Neotia Hospital, which also turned her away. Tragically, by the time she reached Bellevue Nursing Home, she succumbed to her condition.
After facing the hefty fine imposed by WBCERC, Bhagirathi Neotia Hospital appealed to the Calcutta High Court, which resulted in the case being sent back to the Commission for reconsideration. However, the hospital's non-representation at this crucial hearing led the commission to levy an additional fine for wasting the valuable time of both the commission and the attending hospitals.
Another hospital slapped Rs 2 lakh refund
In the another case, WBCERC has asked Roy Multispecialty Hospital in Purulia to initiate a refund of Rs 2 lakh in six instalments along with the operation fee. The commission found that the doctors had committed mistakes while conducting surgery on the patient and failed to detect pus inside the body. Hence, the patient had to rush to CMC Vellore for further treatment. Ultimately, a correction surgery was carried out on the patient at CMC Vellore for which the patient had to pay Rs 2 lakh.
