In a recent move, the Health Ministry all states to issue strict warnings and to act against hospitals, including private ones, which are indulged in malpractices such as overcharging and do not follow standard treatment protocols. This move was an outcome of recent allegations against a Delhi- based Hospital which charged Rs. 16 lakhs to the family of a dengue patient.
The Union Health Secretary, in a letter to the chief secretaries these malpractices, compromise patient’s safety as well as raise concerns about accountability in healthcare costs. Further, the union health secretary also asked the states to ensure the proper implementation of the Clinical establishment act, 2010 under which all hospitals can be regulated. With reference to the recent incident of the dengue patient, the health secretary mentioned that the patient was clearly overcharged, and the standard treatment…
