An ambulance service charged a patient Rs 8000 for a 7Km ride, said District Collector Naval Kishore Ram. The incident took place in Maharashtra’s Pune on June 25.

The Pune district administration filed a case against the ambulance service provider for overcharging the patient. The case was also registered under the Disaster Management Act and Motor Vehicles Act.

‘The man had gone to Sahyadri Hospital in Bibvewadi for COVID-19 test. After his reports came positive, he told the hospital management that he would get admitted in Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (in Erandvane) for treatment,’ said Ram. ‘The ambulance service charged Rs 8,000 for a ride of 7 km which was gross overcharging,’ he added.

Ambulance service providers can charge only prescribed rates, the District Collector stressed.

There has been a rise in such incidents amid the pandemic, and it has become easier for people to extract money from the poor, innocent and helpless during these uncertain times.

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