Indore: Administration and health department officials found in their investigation that Apple Hospital administration was unnecessarily charging patients under various break-ups which are against the patients’ right and an act of commercialization.
District nodal officer for COVID-19 Dr Amit Malakar and SDM Juni Indore submitted the probe report to the Collector on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, acting Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Purnima Gadaria has also served a show cause notice to the hospital and asked them reply in three days or action will be taken against them under section 27 of National Medical Act 2019 as an act of professional and ethical misconduct. Department has also asked the warned the hospital for cancelling the registration on failing in giving a satisfactory reply.
A team of administration and health department led by Dr Malakar and SDM had raided Apple Hospital on Tuesday for investigating a complaint lodged by kin of Deepak Dubey before the Collector regarding over and unnecessary billing.
According to district nodal officer for COVID-19 Dr Amit Malakar said, “On the direction of Collector Manish Singh, we investigated the complaint and found various anomalies in billing by the hospital. We have submitted out report to Collector Manish Singh.”
During investigation, officials found that the patient was admitted on August 3 and was discharged on August 24 on being COVID-19 positive and the hospital gave them a bill of Rs 5.91 lakh.
“Hospital took unnecessary charges in the name of universal protection of Rs 3000 everyday. Similarly, took Rs 3000 in the name of PPE kits everyday and took about Rs 1,00,000 in the name of doctors’ visiting charges but the bills varies from one patient to another. Similarly, there are different bills given to the patient and provided by the hospital administration,” the report stated.
Notice served to three doctors as well
During the probe, team members found that different charges were included in the name of doctors’ visit. CMHO has also served show cause notice to three doctors including Dr Milind Baldi, Dr Sunil Mukati, and Dr Ajay Gupta. Officials have given them time of three days to reply and warned them to lodge FIR, cancelling registration, and ban of practice if failed in giving satisfactory response.
