Pune: Upset over surreptitious agents harassing hospitals and compelling their management to waive off bills after stealthily taking money from patients, some healthcare facilities have lodged complaints with the Charity Commission and even police.
“This has become a chronic problem in Pune not just for hospitals under the Charity Commission but also for other private hospitals,” said Dr H K Sale, the chairperson of the Association of Hospitals.
A private hospital on February 25 in a letter to the city-based Charity Commission’s office complained that two men had been harassing its management and defrauding patients by demanding money in lieu of forcing the facility to waive off bills. The hospital claimed that it had filed an FIR against them. Its management requested the Charity Commission to ensure a restraining order against the duo, except for their medical needs.
Rajni Kshirsagar, joint commissioner, Charity Commission, Pune, said, “Patients or their relatives should not trust agents approaching them with the promise of getting them enrolled under the charity scheme. Certified charity social workers have been deployed at all hospitals. They are trained to give the right information to patients and guide them on the admission procedure.”
The hospital’s letter stated that these two people often misguided patients admitted under the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF). They often sought money from their relatives, claiming that they would manage the bills, it stated.
IPF is an exclusive scheme managed by the Charity Commission. Charitable hospitals create a separate fund for it by crediting 2% of gross bills (excluding indigent patients) to support the treatment of indigent patients.
The healthcare facility alleged that the duo interfered in its routine work and created a hostile environment. Its letter stated that they used abusive language against its staffers, bringing a group of people to scare them.
The hospital refused to issue an official statement regarding the complaint, though.
Sale, the chairperson of the Association of Hospitals, said, “Our association flagged this issue multiple times. Many private tertiary care hospitals in the city have filed complaints with the Charity Commission and the local police, stating that such ‘agents’ roamed outside the city hospitals or even ICU wards to identify patients’ kin who might be financially incapable to pay the bill. They often pose as doctors or hospital staffers, and demand money from the patients’ kin for consumables or medications.”
A senior official from the Charity Commission office, requesting anonymity, said they often received such complaints from tertiary care hospitals. “We can only communicate the same to the local police station,” he said.
“This has become a chronic problem in Pune not just for hospitals under the Charity Commission but also for other private hospitals,” said Dr H K Sale, the chairperson of the Association of Hospitals.
A private hospital on February 25 in a letter to the city-based Charity Commission’s office complained that two men had been harassing its management and defrauding patients by demanding money in lieu of forcing the facility to waive off bills. The hospital claimed that it had filed an FIR against them. Its management requested the Charity Commission to ensure a restraining order against the duo, except for their medical needs.
Rajni Kshirsagar, joint commissioner, Charity Commission, Pune, said, “Patients or their relatives should not trust agents approaching them with the promise of getting them enrolled under the charity scheme. Certified charity social workers have been deployed at all hospitals. They are trained to give the right information to patients and guide them on the admission procedure.”
The hospital’s letter stated that these two people often misguided patients admitted under the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF). They often sought money from their relatives, claiming that they would manage the bills, it stated.
IPF is an exclusive scheme managed by the Charity Commission. Charitable hospitals create a separate fund for it by crediting 2% of gross bills (excluding indigent patients) to support the treatment of indigent patients.
The healthcare facility alleged that the duo interfered in its routine work and created a hostile environment. Its letter stated that they used abusive language against its staffers, bringing a group of people to scare them.
The hospital refused to issue an official statement regarding the complaint, though.
Sale, the chairperson of the Association of Hospitals, said, “Our association flagged this issue multiple times. Many private tertiary care hospitals in the city have filed complaints with the Charity Commission and the local police, stating that such ‘agents’ roamed outside the city hospitals or even ICU wards to identify patients’ kin who might be financially incapable to pay the bill. They often pose as doctors or hospital staffers, and demand money from the patients’ kin for consumables or medications.”
A senior official from the Charity Commission office, requesting anonymity, said they often received such complaints from tertiary care hospitals. “We can only communicate the same to the local police station,” he said.
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