The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), over the last 15 months, audited the hospital bills and healthcare facilities to understand the coronavirus (COVID-19) treatment spends in the city. As per a report released in the Hindustan times, officials have been able to reduce the COVID treatment cost by auditing a total of over 31,000 bills have were audited amounting to INR 522 crores.
Reports state that a sum of INR 20.81 crore was reduced after more than 405 complaints were received regarding 35 private hospitals overcharging the patients for COVID treatment. Several reports were published during the pandemic where such concerns were expressed, basis which the audit was conducted with a team of 70 auditors who checked the bills from June 2020 to August 2021.
Sharing more details, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Suresh Kakani, mentioned that approximately 4 per cent of the amount was returned to the patients after being reduced by the bills. Instructions are being given to the concerned hospitals after the team of auditors check the bills and understand the matters. Hospitals have been asked to either refund the amount or reduce the same from current bills.
The report confirms that the auditors have identified several discrepancies which would have caused concerns for the patients. Issues like mention of tablets which included in the package, extra charge for medication, additional masks, PPE kits and equipment, etc. have been noted in some bills.
Over 75 per cent patients had reported that they are being charged in lakhs for the treatment due to which many have had to suffer financial losses just for the treatment. Complaints were received from approximately 405 bills which were audited, and amount with INR 19 crore was in question. All this, despite state government’s order to cap the COVID treatment charges to INR 4,000 a day without ICU. Meanwhile, hospitals were asked to charge only INR 7500 and INR 9000 per day for ICU and ventilator facilities respectively.
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