The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission on Wednesday asked three hospitals to return various amounts to two men who were treated for Covid-19 and the family of a woman who died of the disease.

The commission feels all three patients were overcharged.

Fortis Hospital in Anandapur was asked to refund Rs 1 lakh, Divine Nursing Home in Beleghata Rs 1.3 lakh and BP Poddar Hospital in New Alipore Rs 1.84 lakh.

A man who had been admitted to Fortis Hospital complained that he had been overcharged. “We examined the bill. It showed that the hospital charged the first six doses of Remdesivir at Rs 4,000 each, but the next six doses were charged Rs 5.400 each. We have asked the hospital to return Rs 8,400 for the additional Rs 1,400 they charged for each of the later six doses,” retired judge Ashim Banerjee, the commission’s chairperson, told a news conference.

The patient was at the hospital from July 16 to August 3.

“We also found that the patient was not offered the cheapest available brand of Meropenem. We had said in an advisory issued in August that a hospital must keep three to four brands of a medicine required for Covid treatment. If the doctor does not mention a brand, the hospital should offer the cheapest one available. But this was not done in this case,” said Banerjee.

Remdesivir is an anti-viral drug and Meropenem is an antibiotic. They are both being prescribed for Covid-19 treatment, a doctor said.

“The patient had to pay Rs 1.69 lakh out of his pocket. The insurance company paid Rs 7.89 lakh. We have asked the hospital to refund the patient Rs 1 lakh,” said Banerjee.

A Calcuttan now living in the US complained to the commission that his mother was treated for Covid at Divine Nursing Home for 24 days. “The hospital billed Rs 7,30,192 for the stay. The complainant said the hospital had forcefully discharged the woman on August 20. She died on September 2,” said Banerjee.

“The insurance company has approved the payment of Rs 90,000 and the rest was paid by the family…. The family alleged that the hospital did not admit the patient under cashless facility, which is why they had to pay such a huge amount. We have asked the hospital to refund Rs 1,30,000 to the patient’s family.”

The chairperson added that the hospital said they did not allow the cashless facility because they were not sure whether insurance would cover charges of many aspects of Covid treatment.

As for BP Poddar Hospital, the chairperson said the commission “did not find any justification” for the billed amount - Rs 4,34,800. The patient was treated at the hospital from July 6 to 20.

“The hospital charged Rs 2,000 per day as doctors’ consultation fee, exactly double the amount at which the state government capped the fee. We also found that pathological tests were charged at exorbitant rates… The hospital has been asked to refund Rs 1.84 lakh to the man,” Banerjee said.