East Godavari Joint Collector Ch. Kirthi on Friday fined the management of Sai Sudha Hospital in Kakinada a fine of 75 lakh for charging a coronavirus patient 14 lakh for treatment that violated the fee policy.
The patient, O. Satyanarayana, 53, was pronounced dead in hospital on May 20th. In response to a complaint from family members of the deceased, Ms. Kirthi conducted an examination on Friday in the presence of the management of Sai Sudha Hospital by Director Dr. Vadrevu Ravi, who is also the president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kakinada.
“The hospital administration was fined 75 lakh for violating the COVID-19 treatment policy. The hospital was also told to return 11 lakh to Satyanarayana’s family, ”the Joint Collector said.
Meanwhile, the additional DMHO warned that the hospital would be seized if such a violation was found during the investigation, carried out simultaneously by the government and police.
In response to a separate complaint from the deceased family, police launched proceedings against Dr. Vadrevu Ravi and the hospital director Kalam registered under Sections 188, 420 and 384 of the IPC and the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act.
III-Town Circle inspector SR Koteswara Rao said that the Satyanarayana’s treatment records had been confiscated from the hospital and sent to the health department to investigate the alleged medical negligence.
“No invoices issued”
“The hospital authorities have not billed the patient. Police have stepped up investigations into the hospital’s alleged violations of COVID-19 treatment and fee guidelines, ”said Koteswara Rao.
Meanwhile, collector D. Muralidhar Reddy said the hospital administration paid a fine of 75 lakh and 11 lakh in compensation to the deceased’s family on Friday evening. “The family was compensated within a day of receiving a complaint,” he said.