The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has ordered 12 private hospitals to refund ₹1.36 crore to patients overcharged for COVID-19 treatment. As of September 13, ₹32.32 lakh has been returned.
“Six teams deployed by the NMMC have been scrutinising bills of private hospitals to find discrepancies instead of waiting for complaints,” NMMC PRO Mahendra Konde said. In 662 of the 812 bills scrutinised, the team found discrepancies of ₹62.88 lakh.
The team found that Fortis Hospital in Vashi overcharged ₹17.86 lakh, Frisson Hospital in Ghansoli ₹14.41 lakh, Sunshine Hospital in Nerul ₹12.32 lakh, MPCT Hospital in Sanpada ₹10.90 lakh, and MGM hospital in Vashi ₹7.37 lakh.
Meanwhile, the NMMC’s Covid Bill Complaint Center found discrepancies of ₹41.38 lakh in bills. The team found that ₹19.64 lakh was overcharged by Terna Hospital in Nerul, ₹6.36 lakh by DY Patil Hospital in Nerul, ₹3.42 lakh by PKC Hospital in Vashi, ₹2.50 lakh by Fortis Hospital in Vashi, ₹2.27 lakh by Apollo Hospital in Belapur, ₹1.42 lakh by Reliance Hospital in Nerul, ₹1.37 lakh by Neurogen Hospital in Seawood, ₹1.26 lakh by Frisson Hospital in Ghansoli, ₹1.15 lakh by Global Health Care Hospital in Vashi, ₹1.14 lakh by Siddhika Hospital in Koparkhairane, ₹56,161 by MGM Hospital in Belapur, and ₹29,000 by Indravati Hospital in Airoli.
The State government in a notification dated May 21 and August 31 had fixed the rates for COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals on a case-by-case basis. NMMC chief Abhijit Bangar had issued notices to healthcare providers in his jurisdiction, warning them of legal action under Section 3 of the Prevention of Infectious Diseases Act, 1897, and Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in case of discrepancies in bills.
The NMMC has appealed to residents to call the helpline 022-27567389 or WhatsApp 7208490010 to file complaints.
