Bhimavaram: NTR Vaidya Seva, West Godavari, Hospital Fraud, Chadalawada Nagarani, Patient Rights, Healthcare AccountabilityWest Godavari district Collector Chadalawada Nagarani has sent a strong message to private hospitals, which are extending treatment under NTR Vaidya Seva, for indulging in fake treatment on the pretext of treating dangerous diseases from poor patients when she fined a hospital for the fraudulent practice. She warned that hospitals charging money for free treatments provided by NTR Vaidya Seva will face a huge fine and severe disciplinary action.

A meeting chaired by Nagarani at the Collectorate here on Friday inquired into the complaints received against 17 hospitals allegedly charging money for the services of Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust. She expressed anger at the management of the hospitals concerned for charging money. “Such actions would not be ignored under any circumstances. Is it your job to treat even if the patients have no such diseases?” She chided whether they would play with the lives of the poor. She made it clear that no hospital, however big it is, would be spared for any such mistakes.

Hospitals reportedly have been charging parents of children born without jaundice on the pretext of conducting phototherapy. Hence forth, the government would test blood samples of every child born in private hospitals to confirm whether they have jaundice. Serious action will be taken if it is found that treatment was done without the need for phototherapy. People should also be aware and change their mindset, and take advantage of the maternity services provided at government hospitals.

When a hospital tries to collect money in the name of dengue by treating patients without dengue, the DM&HO ordered the collection of samples from the patients concerned, and the doctor of the hospital concerned was strongly questioned as to why this had to be done when it was clear that the patient has no dengue.

“If any patient tested positive for dengue, as a doctor you should inform the government hospital. Don’t you know how dangerous dengue is. By not informing the government hospital about the incidence of dengue, starting treatment on your own itself indicates how greedy your intentions are,” she thundered.

The Collector ordered the officials to collect three times the fee that was collected for the ‘dengue treatment’ as a penalty from the hospital management. In another case, the same hospital management was asked to cough up double the fee as a penalty. She said that poor people come to private hospitals by borrowing money for treatment. As the patients are financially distressed, the hospital management should not take advantage of their weakness. Without charging them on the pretext of treatment and pushing them into debts, the hospitals should treat only when they have any ailment, she advised.

DM&HO Dr G Geetha Bai, DCHS Dr P Suryanarayana, Dr NTR Vaidya Seva Trust district coordinator Dr Kirti Shravan, doctors and representatives from various private hospitals participated in this meeting.