Newz Desk, Durgapur: Taking a tough stand against overbilling by private healthcare providers, the state Health Regulatory Commission has directed hospitals to strictly adhere to declared package rates, warning of refunds and penalties in case of violations.
The directive follows a serious complaint against Mission Hospital Durgapur, where a patient’s family alleged that they were charged far beyond the agreed surgical package.
According to the complaint filed by Santosh Bhagat, a patient suffering from urinary and kidney-related issues was admitted in September last year. The hospital had offered a treatment package of ₹1,38,500, which included procedures like cystoscopy RGP, DJ stenting, and URSL laser. It was also stated that medicine and consumable costs up to ₹10,000 would be covered within the package, with only diagnostic tests billed separately.
However, the family alleged that despite paying the full package amount, the hospital charged additional fees for three days prior to the surgery. The patient was admitted on September 11, underwent surgery on September 14,2025 and was discharged the following day.
When questioned by the Commission, the hospital claimed that the package was applicable only from the day of surgery. This explanation failed to satisfy the panel. Commission Chairman, former Justice Asim Kumar Bandyopadhyay, raised concerns over the delay in conducting the surgery after admission and questioned the justification for levying separate charges despite informing the patient about the package earlier. The hospital was unable to provide clear answers. It also failed to submit complete documentation of the package details, further strengthening suspicions of irregularities.
In its order, the Commission directed the hospital to refund all excess charges beyond the package amount. Additionally, a penalty of ₹25,000 has been imposed for unethical package practices, which is to be paid to the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission.
The Commission has made it clear that any deviation from declared package rates will not be tolerated, signalling stricter enforcement to protect patients from unfair billing practices.
