In a first, the state government Monday evening cancelled the permission granted to a private hospital in the city to treat COVID-19 patients. The office of the Director of Public Health and Family Welfare found the Deccan Hospitals guilty of “inappropriate and surplus billing” for COVID-19 management services.
Private hospitals in the state were allowed to treat COVID-19 patients from mid-June onwards. In the last month, several instances of hospitals refusing to hand over the body of the deceased to their families for want of full settlement of medical bills, complaints of poor treatment and neglect despite exorbitant charges and denial of treatment have emerged in Hyderabad. This is the first time any action has been taken against a private hospital.
According to the order, the Deccan Hospital in Somajiguda is now prohibited from admitting any new COVID-19 patient. The hospital has been asked to ensure no inconvenience is caused to patients who are undergoing treatment at present. They have to be treated as per the price ceiling fixed by the government and, if the hospital fails to do so, the government would cancel its licence.
The order also states that it received several complaints against the hospital that it was charging exorbitantly for COVID-19 treatment and that the price ceiling fixed by the government was not being followed. Following this, the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Hyderabad inquired into the matter and found that the hospital had indeed violated the government norms on treatment charges.
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