Punjab residents paying extra hospital charges can lodge official complaints

Patients who have been charged more than the service charges fixed for February 2020 at private medical facilities will be given an immediate refund, assured the Punjab Healthcare Commission CEO Dr Shoaib Khan on Wednesday.

The healthcare commission is responsible for monitoring the quality of facilities at hospitals as well as their charges. For Punjab residents, you can either visit their office or report your problems on their website.

Speaking on SAMAA TV’s morning show Naya Din, the commission head explained that he has received no complaints so far of any resident being charged extra money and the reason was because people are unaware of the actual charges.

“We’ve directed private hospitals to display their charges on their websites as well as at the front of their facilities,” Dr Khan said.

“We have also told them to charge as per their rates in February 2020 until the commission tells them otherwise.”

This will help people get a better idea of the expenses they’ll have to bear before admitting themselves or a family member to a hospital.

Dr Khan explained that the commission will not only look into the complaints of patients who come forward but also review patient records from March.

Those who were charged extra will be refunded the money and action will be taken against the medical facilities at fault.

However, the commission head said critical action against any facility, especially the sort that leads to suspension of the hospital’s working, will not be taken because every facility counts during a pandemic.

On June 11, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat also issued a notification making it compulsory for hospitals in the capital to put up their treatment charges on their official websites.

“The decision has been taken so that the complaints of varying prices from patient to patient are resolved,” he said.

from Coronavirus – SAMAA https://ift.tt/2YBRFHa