CGHS drops Paras HMRI hospital from its panel

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The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), an arm of the ministry of health and family welfare, has suspended the membership of Patna’s Paras HMRI hospital, a private multi-speciality facility, for six months from its panel of health care organisations on charges of medical negligence, following several serious complaints against it, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The office order of Dr Thakur Avay Kumar Singh, additional director, CGHS, Patna, dated April 12, which has been seen by the Hindustan Times, says its beneficiaries already admitted in the hospital shall continue to be provided treatment at CGHS (discounted) rates till their discharge within seven days of the order.

“Bill of patients discharged after seven days of issue of this order shall be submitted with proper justification for consideration by the CGHS,” the letter says.

The decision to suspend the hospital from the panel of for six months or till further orders was taken based on the recommendation of the grievance section (hospital cell) and the high-powered committee for action against HCOs under CGHS, Patna, the letter said.

The hospital faces charges of fraud, pertaining to alleged fake and multiple billing of patients for investigations, not giving credit facility to CGHS beneficiaries, particularly pensioners and their dependants, as per the memorandum of agreement with the CGHS.

“The hospital used to allegedly charge patients for tests not done, besides resorting to multiple billing of investigations. Among the other charges against the hospital were not allotting beds to CGHS beneficiaries, despite availability, as it preferred admitting general patients at full rate than treating CGHS beneficiaries at discounted rate, besides ill-treating them, with no privilege to senior citizens, as many beneficiaries were made to make rounds of the hospital for admission and procedures,” said Suresh Sharma, 73, who retired from department of post and is the general secretary of the All India Postal and Rail Mail Service Pensioners’ Association, and also a member of the zonal advisory committee of the CGHS, Patna.

“Based on several complaints from our members, we took up the matter with the additional director of the CGHS, who conducted a meeting of doctors from the CGHS wellness centres and other stakeholders on March 14, before taking the stern action against Paras hospital,” Sharma said.

The CGHS had earlier issued several warnings to the hospital but it did not take any cognizance of them.

A former Bihar minister had also alleged medical negligence at the Paras hospital, where he underwent treatment some years back.

Aakash Sinha, head of human resources (east), and Dr Asif Parwez, medical superintendent of Paras HMRI Hospital, did not respond to this reporter’s phone calls or email addressed to its unit head Dr Vaibhav Raj, with copies marked to them.

Later, Dr Parwez, in a text message, said, “At present, the Paras HMRI hospital is not extending medical facility to any CGHS beneficiary.”

He, however, did not respond to the allegations levelled against the hospital.

The CGHS, which has around 70 lakh beneficiaries in Patna, provides comprehensive medical care to Central government employees, pensioners, eligible beneficiaries of the legislature, judiciary, executive and the media, and their dependants. It has around 68 health care organisations, including hospitals and diagnostic centres, in its panel in Patna, with around 12 more facilities awaiting inclusion in the panel.

The hospital used to allegedly charge patients for tests not done, besides resorting to multiple billing of investigations and not giving beds to CGHS beneficiaries SURESH SHARMA, Member,ň ZonalňAdvisoryňCommittee,ňCGHS