Bengaluru's Apollo Hospital booked for illegally blocking beds

Apollo Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, has been booked for illegally blocking beds and forcing a patient’s family to pay Rs 2.49 lakh despite him being referred by the BBMP.

Based on a complaint by Dr Nagendra Kumar, BBMP’s medical officer, Bommanahalli, Subramanyapura police have registered an FIR against six people, including the hospital’s CEO, under the Disaster Management Act and various sections of the IPC.

The FIR mentions three cases, including the blocking of a bed for patient Raja Rao till April 25, though Rao succumbed to Covid-19 on April 20. The 80-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital on April 16. “The accused had illegally taken Rs 2.49 lakh from the kin of the deceased and showed that the patient was admitted till April 25,” the FIR said.

A senior official said the patient was referred to the hospital under the BBMP quota and an inquiry is on to understand why the hospital charged the vicitims’s relatives.

Also read: Karnataka private hospitals cry foul over 75% beds quota for Covid patients

Rao’s relatives said the hospital ignored their repeated assertions that he was referred by the BBMP. “They kept giving the list of tests and treatments and said they were not covered by the BBMP,” a relative told DH. “At that moment, we had no option but to pay.”

In another case recorded in the FIR, Suryanarayana Shetty got admitted on April 14 and discharged on April 20, but the hospital data showed that he was occupying the bed till April 24.

Similarly, one Kashinath was admitted on April 17 and discharged on April 22, but the hospital reported him as admitted till April 25.

When contacted, Apollo refused to comment.

Strategy by hospitals to deny beds

Sources said a senior official brought up the issue of private hospitals illegally blocking beds at a meeting held by the chief secretary on Sunday.

“Besides the illegal practices, the chief secretary was notified on strategies adopted by hospitals to deny beds,” the source said. “Firstly, many hospitals were setting aside nearly 50% of the beds as non-Covid, which reduces the total available beds by half.

“Within the half, they were refusing to provide the beds notified under the government quota."

Another source said the government has been notified about former corporators and MLAs blocking patients who have SRF IDs generated through rapid antigen tests.

“People without symptoms or those not requiring oxygen facility are given beds because they come with influence of corporators and MLAs,” the source added.

The source said the chief secretary is likely to take up the issue with zonal officials after going through the report on Apollo Hospital, which is likely to be submitted in two days.