Kolkata, June 10 -- Due to numerous complaints about private hospitals failing to maintain transparency in billing, the state government plans to introduce a Bill during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Assembly. This Bill aims to amend the existing West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act to hold private healthcare establishments accountable.
According to sources, many hospitals are declaring fixed package costs at the time of admission, only to inflate the final bill after the treatment is completed.
Patients and their families have expressed distress, claiming that the final charges often exceed the promised package, leaving them financially burdened and misled. In light of these repeated grievances, the state government is considering amending the State Clinical Establishment Act. A senior Health department official confirmed that the move has gained urgency after a series of such complaints surfaced, pointing to a pattern of hospitals deviating from pre-declared package rates post-treatment.
In inflated bills, the extra amounts are shown as miscellaneous charges.
In the amended Bill, it has been made mandatory for private medical establishments to charge patients only at the rates mentioned in the respective packages.
"The authorities of the private medical establishments concerned will have to inform the family members in advance and get their consent if they need to add some extra charges to the existing package," an official said.
These hospitals will have to provide a detailed explanation along with the exact breakup of the charges to the patient's family members.
It was also learnt that in case of treatment of some MLAs, a few private hospitals had charged additional costs in addition to the package. The issue was also brought to the notice of the Speaker as well.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.