A doctor in a hospital cannot differentiate between patients covered under the West Bengal Health Scheme and others, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission said on Wednesday.
Retired judge Ashim Banerjee, chairperson of the commission, which hears and decides on allegations of malpractice against private healthcare facilities, said he asked AMRI Hospitals Mukundapur to apologise to a retired government employee who was allegedly turned away by a doctor in the outpatient department because he was a beneficiary of the health scheme.
Ratan Kumar Saha, the retired employee, was admitted to the private hospital on February 6 and discharged on February 10. He visited the OPD on February 25 for a follow-up with the doctor who treated him when he was admitted in the hospital.
The doctor allegedly refused to examine Saha because he was covered by the health scheme.
"When he visited the OPD for a follow-up, the doctor refused to see him. He allegedly refused to see the patient because he was covered by the West Bengal Health Scheme. This is a very serious allegation. We contacted the hospital right after receiving the complaint. We directed the hospital to tender an apology forthwith. On March 13, the hospital sent an e-mail to the complainant, tendering an apology," said Justice Banerjee.
"Any doctor in a hospital cannot refuse to treat a patient on the ground of the WBHS coverage. This is the hospital's responsibility (to ensure that a patient is not denied treatment). A doctor working at a hospital cannot differentiate like this," the chairperson said.
An official at AMRI Mukundapur said the doctor did not refuse to treat the complainant, who was a patient of gastroenteritis.
"The doctor never refused to treat the patient. He was busy with other patients. The complainant was asked to wait or consult another doctor. We apologised for any inconvenience caused to the man," said the official.
Patients covered by the West Bengal Health Scheme are eligible for cashless treatment of up to Rs 1.5 lakh in private hospitals. Hospitals later send claims for reimbursement to the state finance department.
If the treatment cost exceeds Rs 1.5 lakh, the patient or his or her family has to pay the excess amount but can claim reimbursement by the government later.
According to the state health department, the scheme has more than 8.5 lakh beneficiaries.
VISIT TO BELUR MATH
The supreme head of the Malankara Orthodox Church, His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews III (second from left), spent about an hour at Belur Math in Howrah district on Monday before leaving the city for Kerala. The Catholicos of the East & Malankara Metropolitan was in Kolkata to preside over the 75th anniversary of Calcutta St Thomas Orthodox Cathedral.
On Monday, he met Swami Smaranananda (seated), the president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. The Catholicos was accompanied by the vicar of the cathedral, Father Anil Varghese; convener of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the cathedral, Jose Mukkathu; joint convener Jacob Mathew, and Deacon Jomon George, secretary of the Catholicos