Hospitals to Face Scrutiny for Billing Irregularities

Quick Summary:

• Vizianagaram District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) S. Jeevan Rani has issued warnings to healthcare facilities for not displaying tariff charts as required under the Clinical Establishments Act,2010.
• Despite prior reminders,many hospitals and diagnostic centers in the district continue to violate openness rules by hiding fee structures and charging excess amounts without informing patients.
• Dr. Rani stated special inspection teams would conduct checks across all healthcare facilities to ensure fees are prominently displayed at entrances and patient waiting areas.
• concerns were raised about hospitals not providing hard copies of prescriptions or diagnoses, sending them directly to in-house pharmacies or via WhatsApp rather-restricting patients from buying medicines elsewhere or accessing durable records.
• Critics pointed out how non-smartphone users and deleted WhatsApp messages pose issues for maintaining lifelong medical records,especially during emergencies requiring patient referrals.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The situation in Vizianagaram district highlights critical gaps in compliance with healthcare regulations aimed at ensuring transparency and accessibility for patients. Non-adherence to displaying tariffs undermines trust between patients and medical institutions while enabling unethical practices like hidden charges. Additionally, the reliance on digital prescriptions raises accessibility concerns for technological disparities among patients-an issue especially pressing for economically disadvantaged communities without smartphones.Such measures are crucial not only to protect consumer rights but also as part of broader efforts to bolster accountability within India’s healthcare system. Enforcing these regulations effectively will require robust oversight mechanisms alongside awareness campaigns educating stakeholders on what they can demand as standard lawful practices from healthcare providers.

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