Hyderabad: Patient's kin stage stir at Yashoda Hospital

Hyderabad: The cases of private hospitals fleecing patients with unwarranted inflated bills continue to make headlines in the times of pandemic. Another case of hospital apathy has come to the fore where the management is resorting to unethical modes to force the relatives to pay up more monies without giving list of proper charges for treatment. The relatives of a patient Rajsheker have raised objections when the Yashoda Hospital management demanded additional Rs 5 lakh besides the amount deposited. Family members said that he was admitted on July 20 due to kidney failure but after 10 days the hospital management said that he was infected with the coronavirus.

K Venkateshwarlu, a relative said, "The doctors did not allow us to see the patient all these days and did not inform he was Covid positive."

"We already paid Rs 3 lakh but now the management is insisting to pay Rs 5 lakh more and then only we would be allowed to see the patient," said Rajshekar, who hails from Korutla.

It may be noted that there have been several incidents of relatives staging a protest in front of Yashoda Hospital and the management is not allowing relatives to see the patient unless they pay up.

Recently, a hospital in Gachibowli handed over the dead body of a Covid-19 patient after relatives protested. The victim's family had alleged that they had paid Rs 6.30 lakh but the management insisted on payment of Rs 6.22 lakh additionally.

Dasari Pandu, president, CITU, Bongiri, says, "Corporate hospitals do not allow relatives to even see the patient. My relative, Naveen was admitted in KIMS and we paid Rs 6 lakh but we were not allowed to even have a glimpse of the patient while he was alive during treatment."

Similarly, Bindhu Madhavi paid Rs 17 lakh for the treatment of her husband in a private hospital in Banjara Hills but could not save her husband.