Punjab’s eight hospitals issued notices for overcharging COVID-19 patients

The Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has issued notices to eight private hospitals on Sunday, for charging higher rates from admitted Covid-19 patients against the fixed rates by the government in February when the pandemic started in the country.

The hospitals that were issued notices included Ittefaq Hospital, Fatima Memorial Hospital, Akram Medical Complex, Masood Hospital, Lahore Care Hospital, and Avicenna Hospital in Lahore; and Bakhtawar Amin Trust and Medicare in Multan.

The official handout stats that the “Administrations of these healthcare establishments have been given 24 hours for the implementation of directions and warned of sealing of the premises for non-compliance with the directions”.

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Furthermore, “the indoor services and elective surgeries have been suspended in two hospitals of Lahore: Surgimed Hospital and Sarwet Anver Medical Complex, and Ahmed Medical Complex in Rawalpindi. However, they have been directed to continue emergency services and treatment of Covid-19 patients,” it further added.

As per the notices, the administrators of these hospitals have also been directed to treat Covid-19 patients as per rates fixed by the authorities in February, and display lists – both within hospital premises and on websites – of all charges, including per-day charges of a bed/room of the isolation area, high-dependency units, intensive care units, ventilator services and Actemra injection (where this service is provided).

According to PHC spokesman, most of the private hospitals have responded positively to the June 16 directions of charging as per the February rates.

“The PHC teams are continuing inspections of hospitals, and besides taking stringent action for non-compliance with directions, violating hospitals will be sealed as well,” he added.