Coronavirus positive Hyderabad doctor charged around Rs 1.5 lakh at private hospital despite price-cap
A Hyderabad doctor, who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, was charged around Rs 1.5 lakh for 30-hour stay at a private hospital. The hospital let her go only after receiving payment of around Rs 1.2 lakh.
A doctor in Hyderabad was allegedly charged around 1.5 lakh for 30-hour hospital stay, putting a question mark on government's price-cap on coronavirus treatment at private hospitals.
Dr Sultana, who is Duty Medical Officer (DMO) at government-run Fever Hospital in Hyderabad, is now the new victim of the private hospital in the city.
Dr Sultana was tested positive for the novel coronavirus on June 24 and after that, she was home quarantined.
On July 2, she suffered a minor breathing issue and got herself admitted to a private hospital.
To her shock, she was charged around Rs 1.5 lakh for 30-hour stay at the hospital.
Despite her raising question about the highly excessive charges, the hospital only let her go after receiving payment of around Rs 1.20 lakh.
Even the local police expressed helplessness when the doctor raised the issue with them.
Dr Sultana alleged that she is diabetic and was given insulin but not served the food by the hospital. She further complaint about the unhygienic and unprofessional atmosphere in the hospital.
BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao alleged that while the government is not testing enough, it is allowing the private hospital to charge unimaginable amount in the name of coronavirus.
Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan also said that while government hospitals are failing to earn the trust of people with lack of facilities, the private hospitals are robbing patients and family in distress.
In another case, a coronavirus patient, Mohammed Abbas Ali, was admitted to another private hospital in Begumpet and died on July 4. His family was charged over Rs 10.50 lakh. Financially weak, his family alleged that the dead body was held up by the hospital and they only resided after taking full payment.
They requested the government to rescue the poor from such situation and strictly act on private hospitals exploiting poor at the time of the pandemic.