WBCERC Directive to Apollo Gleneagles Hospital

Kolkata: Holding that the hospital overcharged the patient for a hernia operation, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has issued a directive to the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital.

In its order, the regulatory panel directed the hospital to set up a fixed deposit of Rs. 13,488 in the name of a patient which can later be used by the concerned patient for future treatments.

The panel found that the hospital had overcharged the said amount for a hernia operation and deemed the charges to be "excessive" and "beyond what was necessary."

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The case relates to an elderly patient who was admitted to Apollo Gleneagles Hospital for a hernia surgery. While the hospital initially quoted a package cost of Rs. 1.80 lakh, the insurance company only approved Rs. 50,000. He was informed by an agent that the balance would be covered upon application approval to the insurance company. However, the patient was required to pay Rs. 1.08 lakh upfront, with the hospital eventually receiving Rs. 71,000.

The WBCERC discovered that the hospital had charged an additional Rs. 13,448 for a mesh used during the procedure, which should have been covered under the patient's policy. As a result, the commission directed the hospital to create a fixed deposit with the same amount in the patient's name to be used for future treatments.

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In a separate case heard by the panel that day, WBCERC instructed Fortis Hospital to refund Rs. 10,460 to the family of a patient who passed away following complications from gallbladder surgery. The refund pertains to non-medical expenses charged to the family and was ordered on humanitarian grounds.

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