Under the Maharashtra Nursing Home Act, it is mandatory for all the private hospitals in the city to put up rate charts of their treatment and services. However, it has come to light that around 35 hospitals have not put up the rate charts on their premises.
The municipal health department has now issued notices to these hospitals and warned them of strict action if they fail to put up the rate chart by March 30.
Private hospitals in the city charge exorbitant rates while treating patients. Many hospitals ask patients for insurance even before starting the treatment and decide on the patient's treatment based on the insurance.
Thus, poor patients often face difficulties in such a situation. After the patient's treatment, if the relatives do not have the money to pay the hospital bills, the authorities demand jewellery from them. Some hospitals insist on the patient paying a deposit before being admitted.
As there have been cases of patients getting cheated financially, the public health committee has been demanding hospitals from time to time to prominently display the rate charts for treatment. The committee recently visited some hospitals for an inspection. They filed complaints with the civic body's medical superintendent about the hospitals that had not put up rate charts. Taking note of it, medical superintendent Dr Bapusaheb Nagargoje has issued notices to 35 private hospitals in the city.
The notice stated that all the instructions of the Maharashtra Nursing Home Act should be strictly followed, a rate chart should be displayed in the hospital immediately, as per the guidelines of the Act, and the report along with a photograph of the rate chart installed should be submitted by March 30, failing which action will be taken as per the provisions of the Act.