The Telangana Public Health and Family Welfare Department had asked several private hospitals in Telangana, who were caught overcharging during the Covid-19 pandemic, to return the money to patients. The total refund ordered by the department in 87 complaints which they considered amounts to Rs 1.61 crore, according to information availed through RTI.
A total of 44 private hospitals were asked to return money to patients after the Department intervened. This information was received in response to an RTI filed by Secunderabad-based RTI activist Robin Zaccheus, on behalf of TNM. According to the RTI response received, as on June 22, 2021 a total of Rs 1,61,22,484 was returned to the patients.
While four hospitals in Hyderabad returned more than Rs 10 lakh each, Omni hospital in Kukatpally topped the list having returned Rs 27.41 lakhs in total. TX Hospital in Uppal, which featured second in the list, returned Rs 10.85 lakh and Medicover hospital in hi-tech city returned Rs 10.82 lakh. Century Hospital which returned Rs 10 lakh featured fourth on the list.
Eight hospitals in Hyderabad returned between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to patients after they were reprimanded by the Health Department for overcharging. Prathima Hospital in Kukatpally, Ankura Hospital in LB Nagar, Diya Hospital in LB Nagar, Medicover Hospital located near Secretariat, N Care Hospital in RC Puram, Care Hospital in Hitech city, Hyderabad Nursing Home in Basheerbagh and Sunshine Hospital in Gachibowli made it to this category.
The Kachiguda branch of TX Hospital and Archana hospital in Miyapur also returned Rs 3.99 lakh each while Ankura Hospital in Narapally returned Rs 3.85 lakh. Lotus Hospital in Lakadikapul and Supraja Hospitals in Nagole returned Rs 3.41 lakh and Rs 3.2 lakh respectively.
While these hospitals returned amounts greater than Rs 3 lakh, several more hospitals featured in the list of hospitals that returned money to patients after they were found overcharging. The RTI revealed that a total of 44 private hospitals featured in the list
Full list of hospitals that returned money to patients (RTI reply)
Interestingly, On June 2, 2021, the Telangana Public Health and Family Welfare Department Director Dr G Srinivas Rao informed the Telangana High Court that they had recovered Rs 3 crore from private hospitals that overcharged patients during the first wave of Covid-19. However, the RTI response revealed that only Rs 1.61 crore was refunded by the private hospitals until June 22, 2021. The official had informed the court about recovering Rs 3 crore when he was summoned before the court as the judges were unhappy with an earlier affidavit submitted by the director. The High Court back then had also sought to know why the state had not capped the various charges in private hospitals by issuing a fresh order.
On the same day, Srinivas Rao had also informed the court that they had received a total of 174 complaints against private hospitals and 139 show cause notices were served. The court was also informed that the licenses of 22 hospitals were terminated by the Department as their responses were not satisfactory. However, none of these details have been shared in the RTI response received.
READ: Andhra CM Jagan, Telangana Min KTR meet on sidelines of WEF summit at Davos