The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission on Monday asked Manipal Hospital and Narayan Memorial Hospital to donate Rs 50,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively to charity organisations after the panel found that the two units had charged patients ignoring the commission’s advisories.
Retired judge Ashim Banerjee, chairperson of the commission, said the hospitals were not fined bigger amounts as this was the first time the panel had come across instances of violations.
Banerjee later told The Telegraph the hospitals had violated multiple advisories, including those on offering discounts on medicines, using high-end antibiotics and room rent.
“A woman was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Salt Lake. The patient’s father said she was admitted for eight hours but the hospital said she was admitted for 12 hours. The hospital charged her Rs 44,000. We examined the bill and found the hospital had violated many of our advisories,” Banerjee said.
“We have asked the hospital to return Rs 11,281 to the patient party. We have also asked the hospital to donate Rs 50,000 as a notional amount to an institution taking care of mentally challenged people,” he said.
“We will follow the commission’s order,” said a Manipal Hospital official.
Narayan Memorial Hospital was asked to return Rs 17,229 to a patient for similar reasons.
“They did not follow our advisory. We have also asked them to donate Rs 40,000 to an organisation looking after mentally challenged persons,” said Banerjee.
Calls to an official of the hospital went unanswered.
