Surya hospital justifies advance payment

Surya Hospital responded to the notice of the district collectorate and acknowledged that it took advance payment from German Bakery blast victim, Saqr Al-Bethany, when he was brought to the hospital with 40% burns.

The hospital, which is now a part of the Sahyadri Group of Hospitals, in its reply said, the Rs15,000 deposit paid by the victim would be reimbursed  only after the amount is remitted to it by the state government.

The district administration had served the hospital a notice on December 15 seeking an explanation about an exclusive report in DNA (Surya Hospital’s billing to be investigated, December 14). Citing the report, the notice said that in spite of clear directives from the government that no money was to be recovered from the victims of the German Bakery blast, Surya Hospital had collected Rs32,000 from the Yemeni national.

Seventeen people were killed and more than 60 injured after terrorists exploded a bomb in German Bakery restaurant in Koregaon Park on February 13.

In his reply, Surya Hospital manager said on the day of the blast, Al-Bethany was brought to the hospital around 8.30 pm with 40% burns. Making contradictory statements, he said although the victim said he suffered burns in the German Bakery explosion, the hospital’s medical staff on that shift was not aware that he was a victim of a bomb blast.

The hospital said the government directives on not to take money from the victims was received around 4 pm on February 16, and that till the patient’s discharge he was given treatment and medicines for free.

Surya Hospital said at the time of admission, those accompanying Al-Bethany were told to make an advance payment of Rs15,000, which they did at 10.40 pm. About the medicines of Rs18,000 purchased by the victim from the hospital pharmacy, the manager said he did not have details of these bills as the people accompanying Al-Bethany did not submit the bills to the hospital.

“As the persons concerned did not furnish those details to the hospital administration at the time of discharge, the administration was not aware of it and hence it was not included in the reimbursement claim submitted to the government,” the hospital has said in its reply.

According to Surya Hospital, after being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) for some days, the patient was to be shifted to the general ward.

“But he demanded that he needs the deluxe room with air-conditioner. He and his associates were then were made aware about the expenses,” the hospital said in its reply.

“They agreed with the management and the advance amount paid by the victim
was kept by the hospital as
deposit,” he said,  claiming that an assurance was given to the victim that the deposit would be refunded after the government reimburses the hospital.