Aug. 14: Private hospitals in Calcutta today wrote to the regulatory commission for health care about their inability to provide medical treatment at rates specified for the government scheme Swasthya Sathi.

These hospitals had been asked to provide "package rates" for hospitalisation, tests and medical procedures in line with the Swasthya Sathi scheme for the underprivileged. They were required to mention their current rates against those fixed by the government in a formatted sheet and explain why they were charging more.

Almost all hospitals informed the commission that packages were restricted to a small number of treatments and that itemised billing was the norm.

Even for those treatments covered by packages, the rates cited by private hospitals in their replies are 10 to 60 per cent higher than those under Swasthya Sathi, sources said.

August 15 is the deadline for private hospitals to get back to the commission with their rates. Most of them have emailed their replies.

The West Bengal Clinical Establishments Regulatory Commission had announced that the rates fixed for Swasthya Sathi would be the reference point while determining "reasonable fees" for medical care in nursing homes and private hospitals.

"The scheme mentions 1,500-odd packages. No private hospital offers that many. Most have packages for only a few planned procedures," said the CEO of a large private hospital.

Private hospitals say that the Swasthya Sathi rates are not feasible even for their general wards. "We have explained the rationale for our higher rates, which take into account operational and fixed costs as well as our continued investments in technology and medical equipment, academic programmes, accreditation and research activities," said the head of another private hospital.

Sources said the replies by most private hospitals mention package costs for cardiac and cardiothoracic procedures, where the difference between their rates and those specified by the government is relatively lower than that for other treatments.

For coronary angiography, the Swasthya Sathi scheme stipulates fees not higher than Rs 10,000. Several private hospitals mentioned that they offer the procedure for around Rs 12,000.

For some other treatments, the difference in pricing is huge. The cost of abdominal hysterectomy or surgical removal of the uterus based on the Swasthya Sathi rate card is Rs 16,500. Private hospitals charge around Rs 80,000 for the same surgery.

For cholecystectomy, a procedure to remove a diseased gallbladder, the rate recommended by the government is a maximum of Rs 19,800. Private hospitals pegged their rates for the procedure between Rs 50,000 and Rs 80,000.

An official of the regulatory commission said the rates mentioned by private hospitals in their replies would be studied and another meeting convened to discuss the way forward. "We are not in a position to decide what rates these hospitals should charge," he admitted.