Telangana: DPH Repeals Licence Of 10 Hospitals For Exorbitant Billing And Mismanaging Covid Treatment  

The Office has issued notices to 79 hospitals after receiving 115 complaints about the issues of bad treatment and excessive charges for treating Covid patients

Telangana govt cancelled licenses of hospitals

Hyderabad: After issuing notices to scores of hospitals in the city, the Director of Public Health (DPH) have cancelled licences of 10 hospitals in Telangana to treat COVID-19 patients due to exorbitant billing and mismanagement of the pandemic situation.

The Office on Saturday has issued notices to 79 hospitals after receiving 115 complaints about the issues of bad treatment and excessive charges for treating Covid patients. 

It all started with Sashi Vangala, who alleged that Virinchi Hospital in Hyderabad has been lethargic in treating her brother Vamsi Krishna and eventually he passed away due to Covid complications on May 22.

Following his death, relatives of the deceased barged into the hospital and allegedly attacked the doctor who had treated the 35-year-old Covid patient. "Why did they give strong steroids, wrong medicines to my brother when he only had a mild disease? Why did they offer to refund our money?'' Sister of Vamsi asked.

And since then the state’s Director of Public Health had cracked the whip on the hospitals. A special team was constituted to monitor the hospitals that are charging excessive bills for Covid treatment. Telangana government has capped the prices to be charged for the COVID-19 patients but the private hospitals appear to be violating it.

In another incident, a woman was billed Rs 1 lakh per day in a private hospital in Hyderabad. She was then forced to shift her Covid-infected son to the government Hospital at Koti. The woman said she could not pay the money even after selling her house.