Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government on Friday removed Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals from the panel of hospitals that provide treatment to government employees under the state’s health scheme. The decision was taken in the wake of allegations of medical negligence and inflated billing.
A notification regarding the decision was issued by the state finance department. Apollo was empanelled in the list of “Class I Hospitals” under the West Bengal Health Scheme, 2008.
A probe and scrutiny of medical reimbursement bills of the beneficiaries treated under the state health scheme revealed that the private hospital have not abided by the norms for providing cashless treatment under the government scheme on many occasions.
The hospital had charged the beneficiaries more than the approved rates, conducted unnecessary procedures and tests, prescribed costly antibiotics and consumable without any justification, did not provide original tax invoice of implants used.
On some occasion, the hospital had refused to offer cashless treatment without providing any valid reason.
The flaws revealed by the enquiry are contrary to the provisions of the Memorandum of Association that was signed between the government and the hospital. “It has been found that the doctors of the OPD clinic are reluctant to accept government approved rates and they charge much higher and the difference amount between the approved rate for surgery and the surgeons claim is realised from the beneficiaries,” read the notification.
Under the provisions of West Bengal Health Scheme, 2008 and West Bengal Health for All Employees and Pensioners Cashless Medical Treatment Scheme, 2014, state government employees, pensioners and their dependent family members are entitled to get cashless treatment of up to Rs 1 lakh in the empanelled private hospitals. “The move to discontinue empanellment of Apollo comes amidst ongoing investigations by the police and the state health department against the hospital for inflated billing and medical negligence in treatment of victim Sanjay Roy, that had resulted in his death last month.” a health department official said.
