DNA Exclusive | Medanta Hospital found guilty of charging five times more for blood: Report

The government probe into the death of seven-year-old Saurya Pratap has found that private-run Medanta Hospital in Gurugram overcharged the family for blood and drugs. A six-member inquiry committee – which included the deputy civil surgeon and two paediatricians of the Gurugram civil hospital — was constituted by the civil surgeon's office on February 6, 2018.

The two-day long inquiry included cross questioning of deceased father Gopendra and Medanta hospital authorities. DNA has an exclusive copy of the probe report, which found that while the state-government has fixed the price of Random Donor Platelets (RDPs) at Rs 400 per unit, Medanta charged close to five times more per unit: Rs 1,950 per unit.

Haryana State Blood Transfusion Council (HSBTC) has been at it's wit's end after Medanta overcharged blood supplied to patient despite two memos — one by HSBTC on July 6, 2015 and another by the civil surgeon of Gurugram on April 20, 2017 to charge blood as per rates fixed by the government.

For the probe, the hospital submitted a list of 155 dengue patients admitted since November 1, 2017. Until January 31, 2018, the hospital claims that they over-charged patients, after which they created a new code to issue RDPs at government-fixed rates. The hospital fails to provide any explanation on why they over-charged in the first place.

Gopendra was billed over Rs 15 lakh for the 22 days Saurya spent in Medanta. "During investigation," the report states, "it was observed that the patient was not issued a detailed invoice or bill with respect to the drugs dispensed and sold to him."

Medanta was found selling drugs covered under the central government's Drug Price Control Order at an inflated rate. Drugs that fall under price ceiling, as fixed by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), if sold at higher prices, attract penal action.

In case of printing of false Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs) by the hospital, the report states, "On comparison of MRPs printed on the drugs used and charged to the patient with MRPs available on NPPA website, three drugs were observed to have higher MRPs." For example, a Heparin injection, which should not be sold for over Rs 41.14, was sold by the hospital for Rs 77.70. The hospital's current stock is marked at Rs 82.

Also, it was observed that different brands of same (generic) drugs with different MRPs were issued and used, which the hospital could not explain satisfactorily. For example, Meropenem injection was sold under different brand names — Merocrit, Meronem, Meroza, Treonam — with rates varying between Rs 2,733 to Rs 3,333, within a span of 22 days. The report however says that there was no 'medical negligence'.

In case of Linoplus infusion 600 mg (Linezolid) injection, the same brand, with different batch numbers, was found with different MRPs – one batch cost Rs 472, whereas another one cost Rs 518.

The probe further found that Shaurya acquired a secondary, hospital-related infection during his stay at Medanta Hospital. The child was brought in critically ill, and put on oxygen support in the Paediatric Intensive Unit on October 29 2017, in a case that involved Dengue Shock Syndrome with involvement of kidneys and lungs.

After 22 days, unable to pay the mounting costs, Gopendra decided to shift his son to a government-run hospital, where he died two days later. "I was not aware that I was taking my son's Leave Against Medical Advice (LAMA). The hospital made me sign papers but did not explain me what LAMA entailed," Gopendra told DNA.

The family is not completely satisfied with the probe report. "We have alleged that my son's MRI scan was delayed. Also, Medanta did not provide ambulance to transfer him," said Gopendra.

Blood Money

The probe found that while state has fixed the price of Random Donor Platelets at Rs 400 per unit, Medanta charged Rs 1,950 per unit.