The Telangana government has issued show cause notices to 113 private hospitals in the state over the complaints of excess and irrelevant charges and failures in providing proper medical care to the Covid-19 patients.
The public health department stated that 22 hospitals, most of them in Hyderabad and Secunderabad including a few big names, were barred from treating Covid-19 patients, “after completing the treatment and discharge of the patients under their care.”
On Wednesday, the Telangana high court has sought to know from the K Chandrasekhar Rao government the steps taken to deal with the hospitals fleecing the patients. It has also raised questions regarding the measures being put in place to tackle the third wave of the pandemic.
Officials said that till Tuesday, a total of 174 complaints were received against 113 hospitals and that disciplinary action has been initiated against hospitals found guilty of violating rules.
The court has questioned the government action of revoking the hospitals' Covid-19 treatment licenses amidst the pandemic, when their medical services are required by the public.
While opining that mere cancellation of the licenses of the erring hospitals would not help the aggrieved families, the HC bench headed by chief justice Hima Kohli reportedly inquired if the hospitals have refunded the excess fees charged.
In response, public health director Dr Srinivasa Rao submitted that his department is acting to ensure that the overcharged families get back their money. About Rs 3 crore was returned to the hospital exploitation victims during the first wave, the official said.
The court has also directed the government to revise its last year orders capping the hospital charges and file an affidavit in the matter.
Rao said that they have asked all the private Covid-19 hospitals to set up in-house oxygen plants, in preparation of the third wave.