PCMC: Aditya Birla, DY Patil, City Care and Star Multispecialty hospitals served notices due to exorbitant bills to COVID patients

Shikha Chaurasia

Pune, August 08, 2020: Three major private hospitals in Pimpri Chinchwad – Aditya Birla, DY Patil and Star Multispecialty hospitals have been sent ‘show-cause’ notices for enforcing exorbitant bills for treating COVID-19 patients. In the notice, it is written that the hospitals have to give rightful justifications for overcharging patients for their treatment.

These show-cause notices have been sent by N Ashok Babu, the Income Tax Joint Commissioner. He has been appointed in a special committee for keeping a watch on the hospitals and their billing for treating COVID-19 patients.

Though the Government hospitals offer free of cost treatment to COVID-19 patients, many private hospitals are also offering treatment. But often, there are complaints of exorbitant bills served to patients after their treatment. The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has set up a committee to inspect these hospitals.

According to the rules and regulations issued by the Government, the hospitals are supposed to charge Rs 4,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 9,000 for admitting the patients in the hospital, taking their X-rays and their medicinal expenses including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits respectively.

N Ashok Babu found that these hospitals have been overcharging patients than the given government directives. He has therefore sent show-causes notices to these hospitals to justify their bills, and why penal action should not be taken against them.