Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commissions (WBCERC) Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee warned of stern action against the private hospital in Dum Dum if it is found that it has overcharged the Covid-infected doctor who eventually died at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital. "We will take action against any private hospital and make them pay back the money if, during the probe, they are found to be overcharging any Covid patient. We have the power to take action against private health establishments," retired Justice Banerjee said adding: "One patient can suffer from multiple ailments. Some may claim that life-saving drugs imported from abroad were applied on the patient. These are all hypotheses. It is one thing to be vocal on social media and a completely different thing to register an official complaint." "If the family members of the patient lodge an official complaint and submit the bills to the Commission, we will look into it. If the private hospital takes more money, we will make them pay back. We had instructed other hospitals to return the money taken in excess on earlier occasions as well," he asserted. Incidentally, senior gynecologist Dr SS Panja tested Covid positive and was admitted to a private hospital in Dum Dum where he used to practice. The family members alleged that hospital authorities demanded Rs 23 lakh and later lowered the amount. He eventually died at Calcutta Medical College. When contacted, Indian Medical Associations (IMA) state secretary Dr Santanu Sen said: "The bill appears to be inflated. The WBCERC has already issued a fresh directive to the private hospitals capping various expenses." A senior doctor said: "Private hospitals are here for business. They usually keep 30 percent profit margin. But now, the cost of treatment has gone up for maintaining the ICMR and government norms. The government is monitoring if air outlets in Covid wards are sterilised regularly as per norms. The patients have to bear the expenses. If one has to follow ICMR norms on PPE kits, the hospitals need to take Rs 10,000 per patient each day. Otherwise, the standard cannot be followed. Apart from some cheap drugs recommended by the ICMR, many antiviral drugs are highly-priced. Patients believe that they can be cured if they get high-end drugs. Monoclonal antibody drugs cost around Rs 40,000. Even there is a black market operating." A senior doctor from SSKM Hospital on condition of anonymity said: "Some private hospitals seem to be overcharging patients amidst the pandemic. They are charging nearly Rs 1 lakh as ventilation charges per day. The hospitals claim that they are applying high-end antiviral drugs and antibiotics on an experimental basis."

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