Private hospitals looting patients: MLA Laxman Jagtap writes to CM Uddhav Thackeray
Pimpri, June 14, 2020: For better healthcare facilities in the wake of the Coronavirus epidemic, the Maharashtra state government has ordered that 80 percent of the total number of beds in private hospitals are reserved for corona patients. They have to display tariffs prominently displayed in front of hospitals. However, this order has remained only on paper. Chinchwad MLA Laxman Jagtap has lodged a complaint with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging financial looting of citizens by hospitals.
In this context, Jagtap said, “The state government has implemented the rules of the Disaster Management Act. The government has said that 80 percent of the total beds in private hospitals should be reserved for corona patients and that treatment rates should be fixed and placed in front of hospitals. The state government’s public health department has issued clear orders in this regard on May 19.”
However, sensitive government orders are not being implemented in times of crisis. “It is unfortunate to say that this order has remained only on paper. Private hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune should put boards prominently about the cost of treatment preferably outside the hospital. But at present, such boards are not even put up inside the hospitals. These hospitals have literally robbed the corona patients coming for treatment by charging exorbitant fees. Citizens are also falling prey to looting by private hospitals as the administration has not been properly informed of the government’s decision” said Jagtap.
MLA Jagtap also demanded that the government should create awareness among the people about the rights given to the citizens in private hospitals. “This is the situation not only in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune but in the whole of Maharashtra. This is a very serious matter. Separate arrangements should be made to ensure that all orders issued by the government under the Disaster Management Act are strictly enforced by private hospitals”, he said.
