Now Reading: Hospital charged ICU fee for general ward stay, ordered to refund Rs 2 lakh
-
01
Hospital charged ICU fee for general ward stay, ordered to refund Rs 2 lakh
Hospital charged ICU fee for general ward stay, ordered to refund Rs 2 lakh
The West Bengal state consumer commission has directed Ispat Cooperative Hospital in South 24 Parganas to refund Rs 2 lakh to a patient, pay Rs 50,000 compensation and Rs 25,000 litigation costs.…
The West Bengal state consumer commission has directed Ispat Cooperative Hospital in South 24 Parganas to refund Rs 2 lakh to a patient, pay Rs 50,000 compensation and Rs 25,000 litigation costs. The commission found that the hospital charged the patient for an ICU bed even though its own records showed he stayed in a general ward.
Anindya Chakraborty was admitted to the hospital from May 1 to 6, 2021. He alleged that the hospital refused his Swasthya Sathi card and made him pay Rs 2 lakh. The district consumer commission had rejected his complaint in March 2024, but the state commission overturned that decision on August 25, 2026.
The state commission noted that the discharge summary showed Chakraborty stayed in a general bed while the bill charged for an ICCU bed, calling it a "textbook instance of unfair trade practice". It also ruled that treatment under the Swasthya Sathi scheme constitutes a service under consumer law. The hospital can seek reimbursement from the scheme for the refunded amount.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The case turns on a distinction that matters across thousands of empanelled hospital claims under the Swasthya Sathi scheme, which covers over 10 crore families in West Bengal. The commission's ruling that a government-funded health scheme counts as a service under the Consumer Protection Act means patients can pursue complaints even when the government pays the hospital directly. The hospital had also argued a pandemic-era clerical error, but the commission held that billing must match treatment records regardless of circumstances. The next item to watch is whether the hospital complies within the stipulated period or challenges the order before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
