Two years after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, Apollo Hospital submitted the bill for her 75-day hospitalisation to Justice Arumughasamy Commission on Tuesday, claiming an outstanding amount of Rs 44 lakh out of the total Rs 6.86 crore, including Rs 1.17 crore for 'food and beverages'.
Though the AIADMK claimed that around Rs 6 crore was paid from funds from its treasury, a new submission from the Apollo hospital to the one-man commission headed by retired Justice A Arumughaswamy, which is probing the circumstances leading to her death, said the bill hasn't been settled fully.
Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22, 2016, and after 75 days of hospitalisation, passed away on December 5.
According to the bill dated December 14, 2016 submitted by the hospital, the total bill is Rs 6.86 crore, including food and beverage services of Rs 1.17 crore, but so far, only Rs 6.41 crore has been paid.
After the hospital was trolled on social media for billing Rs 1.17 crore for food and beverage, Apollo hospital officials clarified that the food bill was not only for what was provided to Jayalalithaa but also to ministers, officials, senior party men, police personnel and reporters who had stayed at the hospital during her 75-day hospitalisation.
The bill had three heads. In the first category, 'patient bill healthcare services', the hospital charged Rs 1.92 crore. In the second head, 'profession charges', it billed Rs 2.21 crore, including payment of Rs 1.29 crore for Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, which offered physiotherapy services to Jayalalithaa and Rs 92 lakh for UK-based expert Dr Richard Beale. Under the third category, 'room rent/food and beverages/engineering services', the hospital charged Rs 2.72 crore.
Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijaya Baskar, who was summoned before the commission on Tuesday, did not turn up citing personal reasons. While senior AIADMK leader and spokesperson, C Ponnaiyan appeared before the commission.
Who Ate My Cheese?
It also billed Rs 2.21cr, including payment of Rs 1.29 cr for Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, which offered physiotherapy services and Rs 92 lakh for UK-based Dr Richard Beale
