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Karnataka Govt To HC: 1700 Complaints For Over-Charging During COVID
Writer: Ratika Rana
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Karnataka, 28 Oct 2021 11:51 AM GMT
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Creatives : Ratika Rana
Her primary objective is to inform, promote, educate and cultivate readers through writing.
The data acquired by the State Government also reveals the amount that government hospitals collected from COVID-19 patients. All the details regarding the names of hospitals and the amount collected has been submitted to the High Court.
The Karnataka State Government told the High Court that they had received 1,700 complaints from the public against the private hospitals that were over-charging patients while treating them of COVID-19. The data submitted by the government also disclosed that several complaints were also registered against government hospitals on the collection of the hospital fee. The government had fixed a cap on the amount charged for treating various categories of COVID-19 patients. The details enlisted the hospitals, including those with big names who charged excessive amounts from ailing patients and their families.
Excess Amount As High As ₹15 Lakh
The excess amount ranged from a few thousand rupees to as high as ₹15 lakh, depending on the type of hospital that the patient was admitted to. The Division Bench that comprised Chief Justice Ritu Rai and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum took note of the details submitted by the government. The Bench further asked the government to update the action initiated against the hospitals and ensure that the excess amount was refunded. The Bench was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) petitions related to the issues that emerged during COVID-19.
Complete Or Partial Refund For 200 Complaints
As per the government data, The Hindu reported that several reports were received against well-established hospitals in the state. In some cases, the government received multiple complaints regarding a single hospital, sometimes even around a dozen. The details mentioned that either partial or complete amount that the hospitals excessively charged was refunded in nearly 200 complaints. Furthermore, the remaining complaints were pending with the district-level grievance redressal committees.
The Karnataka government had previously set up a toll-free and round-the-clock helpline service so that the applicants could register complaints about the hospitals that refused to accept potential COVID-19 cases. Under the state government's quota of treating COVID patients free of cost, 50 per cent of beds were reserved only for COVID-19 patients.
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